Internet, the App Economy and COVID-19 – A conversation introduced by Sir Julian King

Sir Julian King – now a Visiting Research
Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute – accepted to lead off in our conversation, focussing on the surprisingly disruptive impacts of the pandemic on the immaterial world of digital. 

The call will discuss, among other matters:

• What in reality makes an innovation such as digital tracking apps ethical and trustable?
• Autonomy versus autarky: who do we want to entrust with the development of such sensitive technology? Only ‘ourselves’ in Europe? Also established EU corporate citizens who happen not to be based here? 
• Do we aim for distributed technology solutions? Many apps, the market leading? Or do we prefer, on balance, the accountability of a centralised state solutions?
• Cyber security and disinformation: how big an issue has this been in the pandemic? Are we learning to defend ourselves any better against hostile attacks?
• Lessons for Europe – what additional collective guidance would help us to respond faster and better to a future emergency?