Will national or regional "data sovereignty" on the Internet help solve the NSA problem?

Round Table

In the last few months, versions of this question have been considered by European policy-makers in response to the revelations of Edward Snowden. The decisions that governments, businesses, and consumers make to restore trust in data privacy and security will have deep implications for the future of the Internet.  

At the center of this debate is a tension between the open character of the global Internet and the insecurities that come with this openness. The potential of the Internet can only be fully realized, if people and businesses can trust in it.  But who is responsible for data security? And how should nations seek to maximize privacy and security at home while still participating fully in the benefits of the global Internet?  

Many governments - including Germany - have proposed or adopted data localization laws requiring local storage or routing of data. But relatively little is known yet about how data localization requirements will work in practice and what the benefits and consequences will be.

This invitation-only event is hosted by the Forum Digitale Agenda. The Forum Digitale Agenda is a cross-sectoral coalition of thought-leaders from NGOs, companies, and academia based in Berlin that share a common interest in raising the quality of the debate in technology policy. Through original research, expert workshops, round-tables and public events, the FDA seeks to expand the scope of policy discussions at the intersection of technology, society, and economics. The FDA is governed by its members, and it is hosted and managed by the stiftung neue verantwortung.

With: 

Professor Anupam Chander (UC Davis School of Law);
Dr. Karl-Heinz Neumann (Direktor und Geschäftsführer, WIK GmbH)

Date: 
05/05/2014 - 3:45pm to 5:45pm