2018 Fellows
The TDD 2018 fellows came together for two dialogue sessions in Germany and the US to debate the challenges that arise from the digital transformation of our societies. The first session took place in Berlin and Munich, from June 11 to 15, 2018. The second session took place in Washington, DC and Boston in October 2018. TDD 2018 was the third cohort of the Transatlantic Digital Debates. Learn about the previous cohorts.

Hanna Drimalla
Computer Scientist and Research Fellow, Digital Health Center of the Hasso-Plattner Institute, University of Potsdam

Brian Larkin
Internet Policy Specialist, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

Matthias Schulze
Research Associate, International Security Division, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Josephine Wolff
Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Computing Security, Rochester Institute of Technology

The third cohort of TDD fellows, from Germany and the US, met for the first time as the session kicked off in Berlin. Their first day included discussions on China’s tech policy and its implications for the US and Europe.

To get started, the fellows identified the most controversial topics in data and technology policy in the next five years, each of them drawing on their particular expertise and experience.

Throughout the week, the TDD fellows met and engaged with several experts. Here, Stefan Heumann from Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, and member of the TDD Steering Committee, presented his ideas for a European AI strategy.

Lorena Jaume-Palasi, co-founder of AlgorithmWatch, met with the fellows to discuss algorithmic discrimination and accountability. Together, the grouped outlined the different interpretations of the US and Europe, especially in light of the recent European General Data Protection Regulation.

As well as hearing from experts, TDD fellows lead discussions. Fellows Marc Lendermann, Franziska Raspe, and Philipp Marten took the group through the implications of Germany’s Network Enforcement Act, which asks social media companies to delete "unlawful" content. They then chaired the heated discussion on whether the law is the right approach to counter hate speech online that followed.

The fellows enjoyed an afternoon at Schloss Bellevue, the official residence of Germany’s Federal President. A castle tour - led by fellow Thomas Fehrmann - was followed by a stroll through the park and featured a surprise welcome from President Steinmeier himself.
2018 Washington, DC and Boston Session
From October 14–19, 2018, the fellows reconvened in Washington, DC and Boston for the second session of the 2018 Transatlantic Digital Debates. You can find the agenda here.
Throughout the week, conversations and workshops delved into topics like the future of work, the state of US cybersecurity, privacy, and securing elections in the face of increasing digital threats, among other things.
As well as data and technology policy, the fellows’ dialogue included broader US-German relations. Here, the German Marshall Fund US’s Derek Chollet explores US-Europe relations on trade, defense and integration, as well as dealing with volatility and unpredictability in foreign policy.
In Boston, the fellows grappled with the implications of artificial intelligence and healthcare, including the social, ethical and legal dimensions of the AI governance discussion. Here, Sabelo Mhlambi and Jasmine McNealy from the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University share their take.
During a lively exchange on social media and social movements with Ethan Zuckerman, Director of Center for Civic Media at MIT, the group debated the Internet’s current potential to create and reinvigorate the public sphere.

Throughout the week, the fellows continued their discussions over dinner and social activities while exploring the cities of Boston and Washington, DC. In the capital, the fellows got a glimpse inside the corridors of the White House, touring both the East and West Wings.