SAN FRANCISCO—The United States has spent two years supporting Ukraine in one ground war, seven months supporting Israel in another, and is closing in on a possible third round in Taiwan. We are continuing to prepare. But perhaps its most persistent focus is on a much longer, more permanent and borderless battle over the future of cyberspace and technology.
The State Department released its International Cyberspace and Digital Strategy this week, unveiling its own set of expanding policy priorities. The strategy sets out the principle of “digital solidarity,” which emphasizes the role of technology in diplomacy and the need for digital solidarity. United Nations to maintain an “open, inclusive, secure and resilient” Internet through “responsible national action” in cyberspace.
The strategy document released Monday sits at the intersection of three hallmarks of the Biden administration's first term. That is the escalation of conflicts with adversaries such as Russia and China, which frequently unfold in the cyber domain. An emphasis on “mini-lateralism” by building partnerships with the United Nations among smaller, more targeted groups. and a determination to maintain America's global technological advantage.
“Today's technological revolution is at the center of competition with geopolitical rivals,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said while announcing the strategy at the RSA conference in San Francisco, Silicon Valley's largest annual gathering of cybersecurity experts. ” he said.
“Our ability to design, develop and deploy technology determines our ability to shape the future of technology, and rightfully so, operating from a position of strength will help us set standards around the world. , allowing us to advance norms,” Blinken added. “But our advantage comes not only from domestic strength; it comes from our solidarity with the majority of the world who share our vision for a vibrant, open and secure technological future; It comes from an unparalleled network of allies and partners who can work together for a common purpose.”
Just minutes after the speech, Nathaniel Fick, the U.S. ambassador for cyberspace and digital policy, told reporters that the United States should set broader norms and collectively condemn violations by Russia, China and others. We outlined the importance of such global partnerships. “It's easy to pick on one kid on the playground. It's hard to pick on 30 kids,” he said. “Therefore, it is important to build lasting coalitions in these attributes.”
This strategy incorporates much of what the Biden administration has already been doing into a more structured framework. In 2021, the administration established his Counter Ransomware Initiative, which he has now grown to include more than 60 countries. Of these, just under a third have signed a U.S.-led pledge to curb the misuse of commercial spyware. And the United States, along with the G7 countries, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations, has played a key role in coordinating efforts to address the safety of artificial intelligence.
The State Department has been quiet at times, such as donating $25 million each to Albania and Costa Rica in response to cyberattacks against countries linked to Iran and Russia. It is also disbursing $500 million to seven countries in Asia and Latin America to help strengthen semiconductor manufacturing capacity. Blinken also mentioned recent investments in the literal plumbing of the internet, a partnership with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan for an undersea cable that could bring about 100,000 people in the Pacific Islands online.
Fick cited his 2022 appointment as a good example of the administration's technology-focused foreign policy. “For two years, we've had a bureau in the State Department dedicated to these issues. We have a person with the title of ambassador who represents us on these issues, which broadly speaking means “It's an attempt to unify and improve our diplomatic approach to issues,” he said.
Cybersecurity and cyberdefense remain the most urgent aspects of U.S. technology policy. The United States has faced numerous and increasing cyber attacks from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea in recent years, with critical infrastructure such as gas pipelines, water supply companies, and even medical systems compromised. has been done. Intelligence agencies have also repeatedly warned of potential efforts by Russia and China to influence the U.S. presidential election, scheduled for November.
Although the State Department's strategy focuses on the threat of hostile cyberattacks, it is not the first document of the Biden administration. The White House released his National Cybersecurity Strategy in March 2023, followed by his implementation plan in June, and the Department of Defense released its own cyber strategy document in his September.
Even Blinken's announcement earlier this week was not the administration's latest cyber document. On Tuesday, the White House Office of the National Cyber Director released an update on last year's implementation plan, along with the first report on the U.S. cybersecurity posture outlining the nation's readiness to defeat adversaries.
“We've made good progress, but there's more to do. We still have a ways to go,” White House National Cyber Director Harry Corker Jr. said on a separate panel at the RSA conference. “Cybersecurity is an area where there is no downtime.”
But for U.S. diplomats, coalition-building efforts run alongside ongoing engagement with adversaries, particularly on thorny issues like cyberattacks and AI guardrails.
Mr. Fick accompanied Mr. Blinken on a visit to China in late April, which included talks with Mr. Blinken's Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the two countries agreed to discuss the '' and agreed to hold a meeting. The bilateral dialogue on AI safety and trust is “to ensure that we maintain communication channels around the most important and transformative of the range of emerging technologies before us.”
Blinken also conveyed that “putting America's critical infrastructure at risk, especially civilian critical infrastructure, is dangerous, escalating, and unacceptable,” Fick added.
However, one of the main causes of recent bilateral friction is not specifically mentioned. “Let me tell you, China did not grow TikTok,” Fick said.
The vision laid out in the State Department's digital strategy means Washington may need to have tough conversations with allies and partners whose use of technology may not align with that vision. For example, Israel's use of AI systems to select targets for bombing in Gaza is alarming, while India, another important strategic partner, is leading the world in internet shutdowns. It is frequently used to crack down on online dissent more broadly.
“If our allies and partners cross the line in that regard, we will not hesitate to call them out,” Fick said in response to a question. foreign policy. “Someone once said to me, “Turning a blind eye to your friends doing bad things is violence.'' So, just as we advocate elsewhere, It is important to hold our allies and partners to standards.”
In the meantime, Fick added, Washington remains focused on leading by example.
“There are dozens of countries in the world that are more or less always aligned in these respects, and dozens that are more or less not always, leaving a huge number of countries in between, which are in line with their own interests. “I don't want to have to make a choice, and I shouldn't have to make a choice because of it,” he said.
“I once joked that I had two teenage daughters,” Fick added. “Knocking on the table and saying 'my way or the highway' doesn't work for them, and it doesn't work in diplomacy in general.”
