Microsoft's larger lesson from TikTok: Brad Smith on the future of U.S.-China tech relations
In the new paperback edition of his book, Tools & Weapons, Smith writes that the situation showed its possible to run a foreign technology service in a domestic data center with strict security, privacy, and digital safety controls in a manner that provides appropriate transparency to local government officials.
In effect, this creates the opportunity to consider a new technology regulatory model for those instances where the US government wants technology trade to continue across the Pacific, but in a more controlled manner, he writes.
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In the world of technology, weve reached a particular moment in time when, frankly, the United States and China are going to need to decide together, as two governments, whether they want to see certain technologies perhaps especially in the consumer services area, but also somewhat more broadly flow from China to the United States and flow from the United States to China, he said.
Microsofts TikTok negotiations really were the first example of a conversation exploring the circumstances under which the US government be comfortable with this kind of scenario, and under what types of controls, Smith said.
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I think were going to see the Biden administration probably return to this set of issues, I would guess in 2022, whether its for TikTok or some other service, and it will ask, what controls does it want to put in place? The Chinese government will ask the same question: what controls is it comfortable seeing put in place? he said.
The real question is, is there a bridge across the Pacific that will ensure some level of interoperability between the two nations for these kinds of services, or will the two governments decide they dont want that to exist? he added. And thats going to be a big question for the future.
https://www.geekwire.com/2021/microsofts-larger-lesson-tiktok-brad-smith-future-u-s-china-tech-relations/