Skip to main content

The German Marshall Fund of the United States

  • Who we are
    • Programs
      • Alliance for Securing Democracy
      • Asia Program
      • Balkan Trust for Democracy
      • Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation
      • Congressional Affairs
      • Europe Program
      • Fund for Belarus Democracy
      • Future of Geopolitics
      • GMF Cities
      • GMF Digital
      • Leadership Programs
      • Mediterranean Program
      • Security and Defense
    • Offices
      • Ankara
      • Belgrade
      • Berlin
      • Brussels
      • Bucharest
      • Paris
      • Warsaw
      • Washington, DC
    • About Us
    • Marshall Plan
    • Our Partners
  • Experts
  • Events
    Apr
    19
    Upcoming Event

    Europe's Grand Strategy: Navigating a New World Order

    April 19, 2021 | 10:00AM to 11:00AM EDT
    • Major Conferences & Forums
      GMF brings together hundreds of policymakers, elected officials, academics, and business leaders from around the world to discuss topics from energy to migration, economics to security, urban growth to diplomacy.
    All Events →
  • Our Work
    • Topics
      • America
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Cities and Regions
      • Security
      • Trade and Economies
      • All Topics
    • Research
      • Publications
      • Transatlantic Takes
    • Perspectives
      • Audio
      • Video
      • Blog post
      • In The News
  • Stay Informed
Policy Paper

Transatlantic Digital Dialogue: Rebuilding Trust through Cooperative Reform

November 5, 2015

Ben Scott

The Transatlantic Digital Dialogue is a multi-stakeholder working group of experts from Germany and the United States. It was assembled and stewarded by the Stiftung Neue Verantwortung and the German Marshall Fund of the United States to develop a constructive agenda for the modernization of privacy/security policy that begins to address the global debate over digital surveillance. The findings presented here are rooted in three convictions shared by all of the participants in the project: 1) that transatlantic relationships have weakened as a result of the fractious and inconclusive debate between the EU and the U.S. over surveillance practices; 2) that a multinational modernization of a rights-based framework for privacy and security policy is needed to address these challenges; and 3) that solutions should be aligned with principles of human rights, responsive to the complex political economy of surveillance policy, and premised on common interests and values. 

The Transatlantic Digital Dialogue presents this report as a framework of analysis for re-building trust and democratic legitimacy in the transatlantic relationship in cyberspace. The agenda we present here offers three areas of policy recommendations with clear opportunities for reform: oversight and transparency; extraterritorial access to data; and cyber-security and strong encryption. 

Taken as a package of issues, there is a symmetry of corresponding strengths and weaknesses between the two countries. A focused bilateral engagement could seek to set standards based on the strengths of each side and in so doing raise the quality of policy for both as well as establish a model for other nations to follow in their own modernization efforts.

 

 

See the full gallery.

Download

Download PDF

Explore:

Security and Defense Program
Strengthening Transatlantic Cooperation

Our Organization

  • About GMF
  • Career Opportunities
  • Our Partners
  • Press Room
  • Support Our Work
  • Core Values

Our Work

  • Leadership
  • Policy
  • Civil Society
  • Research & Analysis

Our Experts

  • Find an Expert

Follow

  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Diversity Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Credits

Stay Informed

Don’t miss out on the latest from GMF. Sign up to receive emailed newsletters, announcements, and event notifications.

Subscribe