The recognition of big tech companies as geopolitical actors was a significant factor in the government’s decision to establish Danish tech diplomacy in 2017. The influence of these companies transcends borders, impacting economies, democracies, and the security of our societies. While part of addressing the critical challenges of the tech sector is a question of holding big tech companies to account – and to put in place policy and regulation that ensures that they live up to their societal responsibility – it is also a question of forging effective and trustful multistakeholder partnerships that include civil society, academia, experts, journalists, and activists. As tech diplomacy has matured and more countries have entered the field, the need for greater collaboration and partnerships between governments and tech companies has only become more apparent.

• EU legislation: Contributed insights and perspectives in the development of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Through our ongoing dialogue with the industry, Denmark continues to follow their implementation closely.
  
  
• Multistakeholder Partnerships: Spearheaded the formation of ten Action Coalitions under Denmark’s flagship Tech for Democracy initiative, aiming to tackle issues from gender-based violence facilitated by technology, to ensuring the integrity of information online. These coalitions have contributed with new tools, policy development, analyses and mapping exercises, with the goal to further knowledge and policy in relevant areas.
  
  
• Global Policy Engagement: Actively engaged in multilateral forums and initiatives, such as the Freedom Online Coalition and the Christchurch Call to inform policy development, elevate the learnings from Tech for Democracy and its Action Coalitions, identify challenges, and develop solutions to address critical issues in the intersection of tech, human rights and democracy.

• Tech for Democracy Report: Produced the comprehensive Tech for Democracy: Learnings from the Year of Action report that outlines lessons learned and future directions for multistakeholder collaboration.