July 23, 2023
The United States Is a Decaying Digital Superpower
Failing to develop itself as a digital state, the United States will quickly find itself a bystander between the EU and China as the world’s new digital powers.
by Keegan McBride Albi Nani
To remain competitive in the digital world, states, and the bureaucratic organizations that run them, must digitalize. This transformation requires several innovations such as the creation and maintenance of digital infrastructure, the collection and maintenance of large digital databases, the assignment of unique digital identities to citizens and businesses, the digital delivery of services, and new digital-friendly regulatory regimes.
For states that are able to successfully digitalize, several benefits will materialize, including improved economic performance, decreased administrative costs, and geopolitical or military advantages.
Yet, digitalization also poses significant risks, especially risks relating to the loss of privacy due to the creation of new opportunities for (digital) surveillance. These risks can be minimized if digitalization programs follow and respect democratic values and norms.
While the United States is well-positioned to lead the world in the development of digital states, it is currently falling significantly short of its potential. Instead, it is now other geopolitical actors, especially the European Union and China, that are leading the world.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/techland/united-states-decaying-digital-superpower-206652
