Global Digital Platforms and Geopolitics

THE OVERWHELMING rise in the might of technology companies is a matter of universal concern – as much from the competition law and business policy angle as from the viewpoint of sovereign security.

- Raghav Chandra

Already Apple, Alphabet and Microsoft have acquired prodigious market valuations (almost $3 trillion each) – any two taken together are substantially bigger in market cap than the Indian GDP. Financial heft enables dabbling in geopolitics using their technology enabled prowess. With the dramatic advent of Artificial Intelligence as a tech-tool and force multiplier, these companies, already in the vanguard of the AI juggernaut, are poised to play an even more commanding public role on the global stage. No doubt, these companies will benefit disproportionately. Crucially, some nations will be better positioned to harness their global impact. Should that influence regulatory outlook?

The latest debate before the Delhi High Court on whether Whatsapp’s propriety encryption systems and citizens’ freedom of expression stand compromised when government asks them to trace the origin of certain messages, is indeed a pertinent one. The question of public accountability and citizen privacy is especially relevant for citizens, as much as it is for the government. A balance needs to be struck, but the issues are more complex.