Doteveryone on regulating for responsible technology

Director of Policy Catherine Miller describes how the thinktank is working with regulators across all sectors on measures to counter harmful effects on society of recent and rapid digital change. The conversation draws on Doteveryone’s 2018 report on regulating technology, as well as its research findings on the tech-related anxieties experienced by the public, including a feeling that no-one ‘has their back’, and uncertainty about where redress for any harms might be sought. There is no dedicated tech regulator or ombudsman, and Doteveryone’s report concluded that this was not the answer. Individual regulatory bodies need to carry on regulating specialist patches like markets, or elections, or shipping, or the media, but need support to help them adapt to cover the impact of tech on the fields in which they operate. Regulators, many of which are small organisations, can struggle to access the expertise and capacity they need to know when and how to intervene in situations where, for example, the internet or social media are central. Doteveryone has recommended establishment of an ‘Office for Responsible Technology’ to provide this additional resource. This wide-ranging conversation touches on the ability of individual nations to regulate global tech giants, the significant impact of GDPR, whether AI can learn to self-regulate, and what might be expected in forthcoming legislation.