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Nicholas Thompson on China's tech U-turn
Nick Thompson on China's Tech U-turn | GZERO World

Nicholas Thompson on China's tech U-turn

Six months ago, China's tech giants were champions of the state, working with the government to conquer US Big Tech. But then Xi Jinping started cracking down, and a trillion dollars in their market value is gone. Huh? For Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and former editor-in-chief of WIRED, it makes sense for Xi to go after cryptocurrencies to ensure they don't replace the yuan. But going after national tech champions, he says, could be fool's errand because it's inevitable they'll someday become more powerful than the state itself.

Watch this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: Big Tech: Global sovereignty, unintended consequences

How to fix Facebook
How To Fix Facebook | Quick Take | GZERO Media

How to fix Facebook

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take:

Hey everybody and happy Monday. Back in the office, getting a little cool. So I've got my sweater going on. It's the first time I've had a sweater on. What do you do with that? Discussing fashion, as I talk to you about what is on my mind this week?

And what's on my mind this week, Facebook. Facebook is on my mind. It's a tough week for Facebook. There are all sorts of whistleblowers out there. There's testimony going on. There's calls for regulation. Everybody seems unhappy with them. Indeed, you even got the government relations types, Nick Clegg, who I've known for a long time back when he was a policymaker in the UK saying that the headlines are going to be rough, but we're are going to get through it. But I will say, first of all, I'm kind of skeptical that any of this goes anywhere in terms of impact on how Facebook actually operates.

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LinkedIn right to shut down in China, says journalist Nick Thompson

LinkedIn out of China | GZERO World

LinkedIn right to shut down in China, says journalist Nick Thompson

The Atlantic CEO Nick Thompson believes in tech firms doing business in China because connecting with people there is a huge social good for the world. But in demanding LinkedIn de-platform certain people, he says, the Chinese government crossed a line, and "you can't justify that."

Watch Ian Bremmer's interview with Nicholas Thompson in an upcoming episode of GZERO World, airing on US public television.

The US and EU further talks on technology governance
The US and EU Further Trade and Technology Talks | Cyber In :60 | GZERO Media

The US and EU further talks on technology governance

Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:

Hello, and welcome to the new Cyber In 60 Seconds. My name is Marietje Schaake, and you're finding me at the Democracy Forum in Athens. So, from my hotel room, I'm looking back at the Trade and Technology Council that took place in Pittsburgh this week.

For those who missed it, this gathering brought together high-level officials from the Biden administration and the European Commission. It was a long-anticipated meeting that was supposed to reach conclusions about a shared governance agenda for tech-related issues like AI, data, semiconductors, and foreign direct investments. But the Trade and Technology Council was also expected and hoped to mark a new start after very difficult years across the Atlantic. I think we all remember the years when President Trump was still in the White House. And thankfully, the August fallout and French anger did not end up pouring cold water over the events. Although, the general sentiment in Europe that the honeymoon weeks are over is widely shared.

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Can China limit kids’ video game time? Risks with facial recognition
Placeholder | Cyber In :60 | GZERO Media

Can China limit kids’ video game time? Risks with facial recognition

Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:

China is to ban kids from playing video games for more than three hours a week. But why and how?

Well, controlling the time that kids spend online fits in a pattern of growing paternalism from a state that wants to control its population in every possible way. This time around, the gaming industry is made responsible for enforcing the time limits in China that foresee in a true diet of gaming; one hour per day on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. And of course, children are vulnerable. Protecting them from addictive and violent activities can be a very wise choice that parents want to make. There are also laws in a number of countries that limit advertisements that target children, for example. But whether the latest restrictions on gaming in China will work or instead will inspire a young generation to learn of clever circumvention remains to be seen.

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China data privacy law limits big tech, but has few rights protections
China Data Privacy Law Limits Big Tech, But Has Few Rights Protections | Cyber In :60 | GZERO Media

China data privacy law limits big tech, but has few rights protections

Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:

How does China's recently passed privacy law compare to other countries?

While China's new law is said to be similarly comprehensive as the EU's General Data Protection Regulation and would indeed limit the decision-making power of its big tech companies. However, no law exists just on paper. There's always a context. And in the case of China, there are very few rights protections for people. While in the EU, fundamental rights protections were the main aim of the GDPR. For all geopolitical blocs with new data governance laws, China, India or the EU, we see a balancing act between national security arguments, rights protections, and economic development ambitions. But conspicuously absent from the list is the United States, which still does not have a federal data protection law.

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China's tech crackdown leads to huge losses; Citizen app controversy
China's Tech Crackdown | Citizen App Controversy | Cyber In :60 | GZERO Media

China's tech crackdown leads to huge losses; Citizen app controversy

Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:

How will China's tech crackdown affect the rest of the world?

Well, investors in the US, but also globally were not amused with Beijing's policy decisions coming right after DiDi's IPO and leading to huge losses. Overseas listings are now directly targeted in moves that are being defended as being based on national security, kind of sounds familiar, but the value of Chinese tech stock all over the world is dropping. But still, many continue to view the relationship between Chinese-based companies and the state as symbiotic. So if nothing else, recent moves certainly show that Chinese decision-makers want to keep their grip on anything that happens in the country, very firm.

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Gabriella Turrisi

Why is China trying to game the gamers?

This week, the market value of Tencent, China's biggest video game company, nosedived after a state media outlet suggested that online gaming was as addictive and destructive as opium. Tencent immediately pledged to cap the number of hours people can play, and to keep minors off its platforms.

It's the latest example of a months-long crackdown on major Chinese technology firms that until recently were viewed as some of the world's most powerful and successful companies, as well as a source of national pride. Beijing's about-face on its own tech titans could have big implications for China, and beyond.

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