Despite our pessimistic focus on disasters and negative events, the world has significantly improved in areas like forced labor, women’s voting rights, literacy, and environmental protection. Even in tech policy and government handling of data privacy, progress is evident, though challenges remain.

Outdated regulations and a lack of accurate mapping technology has cost India up to $14 billion per year in inefficient last-mile delivery. We need to modernise map regulations and embrace next-gen technologies like LIDAR and drones to boost our mobility industries and pave the way for autonomous vehicles.

Lawrence Lessig was the first person to come up wtih the idea of regulating the Internet through code, suggesting that restrictions on digital platforms could be implemented through code. This approach, that could streamline complex, multi-party transactions, make them scalable and reduce the risk of non-performance is an idea whose time has come.

The concept of “creative destruction” and “adversarial interoperability” is particularly relevant in the context of modern technology. We need to allow new technologies to work with existing platforms without legal repercussions and foster interoperability.

Digital platforms face a number of challenges when it comes to content moderation, particularly when compared with traditional media’s editorial oversight. Most platforms adopt an “after-the-fact” approach to taking-down the content but they may be better off using algorithmic tools to dampen the virality of offensive content without infringing on free speech.

Different platforms require tailored regulations, and so operating systems and app stores should be regulated differently. Given the recent developments in India, where startups have challenged Google’s Play Store policy, there is a need for innovative thinking beyond traditional regulatory solutions.

Apple built the its iOS mobile ecosystem with strict hardware and software controls. Google built Android to be a more laissez faire system. Google is now exerting greater control over its Play Store to restore trust in the Android ecosystem.

Karanveer Singh has Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). His family has discovered an experimental therapy that skips the missing exon in the DMD gene, allowing dystrophin production. Despite bureaucratic obstacles, the Central Licensing Authority permitted a clinical trial across India. If successful, the treatment, developed by the Dystrophy Annihilation Research Trust (DART), will be available at a fraction of the cost of Western alternatives, offering hope to thousands of families.

If we are to take a comprehensive approach to tech sector regulation, we need to identify core regulatory objectives, establish regulatory principles, and involving experts in the regulatory process. We need agile governance that encourages multi-stakeholder participation, and allows for the creation of self-regulatory organizations (SROs). We should also establish technical standards organizations (TSOs) to continuously update and maintain digital public infrastructure standards, ensuring their relevance and effectiveness in the rapidly changing tech landscape.

The Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture framework allows data companies to collect consent for data portability just before transfer, simplifying privacy policies and focusing them on data collection and use. This unbundling of consent improves user control over personal data and enhances privacy.