The government, business and civil society organizations must design the digital society in such a way that people and values become more central. Then a digital society can emerge in which no one is excluded. So states the Rathenau Institute in its report Doelgericht digitaliseren.
The Netherlands has become more aware of the impact of digitization on society, according to the Rathenau Institute. But for a digital transition in which people and values are central, governments and companies must design actions more purposefully based on societal challenges. This is precisely where the great opportunities for the Netherlands and Europe lie.
The Rathenau Institute formulates five recommendations to better shape the digital transition. Central to these is the concept of socially responsible digitization. That should be the starting point when companies and governments innovate. There are only opportunities for technology if this transition is embedded in society and international agreements are made about it. Furthermore, it is important to continue to invest in the position of supervisors.
Many steps have been taken in the areas of cybersecurity and privacy, the institute says, but issues such as discrimination, exclusion and the loss of autonomy have not yet been translated into concrete policy measures. The same goes for issues such as the protection of democracy, transparency of algorithms, and a fair competitive economy.
Some technologies and related social issues have not yet been addressed, such as facial recognition, virtual and augmented reality and the effects of digital technology on health.
What is missing, the Rathenau Institute concludes, is the link between social issues and innovation. For the challenges we face as a society, governments and companies need to digitize more purposefully.
This article can also be found in the Digital Transformation dossier
Source: Platform O
