Latest Documents

Data portability enhances access to and sharing of data across digital services and platforms. It can empower users to play a more active role in the re-use of their data and can help stimulate competition and innovation by fostering interoperability while reducing switching costs and lock-in effects. However, the effectiveness of data portability in enhancing competition depends on the terms and conditions of data transfer and the extent to which competitors can make use of the data effectively. Additionally, there are potential downsides: data portability measures may unintentionally stifle competition in fast-evolving markets where interoperability requirements may disproportionately burden SMEs and start-ups. Data portability can also increase digital security and privacy risks by enabling data transfers to multiple destinations. This note presents the following five dimensions essential for designing and implementing data portability frameworks: sectoral scope; beneficiaries; type of data; legal obligations; and operational modality.

False and misleading content online poses significant risks to the well-being of people and society, but a lack of cross-country comparable evidence persists. This paper contributes to the literature by presenting the OECD Truth Quest Survey methodology and key findings. This survey assesses whether some types of content are more easily distinguishable as false and misleading than others and whether the theme plays any role in its detection. It provides evidence about whether AI-generated content is easier to identify than human-generated content as well as insights into the effects of AI labelling. It further presents information on people’s behaviour as they interact with false and misleading content and their perceptions about their ability to detect it. The cross-country comparable data from the survey will help policy makers better design media literacy strategies, programmes and related policies to address the negative effects of such content.

Digital transformation shapes how individuals interact with each other and the world, offering opportunities to enhance people’s enjoyment of human rights while also creating new risks and exacerbating existing ones. This report explores how human rights are exercised, protected and promoted in the digital age. By examining this topic from three perspectives – rights, technological developments, and policy developments – the paper supports policy makers in shaping digital transformation so that it puts people at the centre.

Earth's orbits are polluted by more than 100 million debris objects that pose a collision threat to satellites and other spacecraft. The risk of perturbing highly valuable space-based services critical to life on Earth, such as weather monitoring and disaster management, is making debris mitigation an urgent policy challenge. This book provides the latest findings from the OECD project on the economics of space sustainability, which aims to improve decision makers’ understanding of the societal value of space infrastructure and costs of space debris. It provides comprehensive evidence on the growth of space debris, presents methods to evaluate and quantify the value of the satellites at risk and discusses ways to ensure a more sustainable use of the orbital environment. It notably includes case studies from Italy, Japan and Korea on the socio-economic value of different types of space infrastructure and discusses the feasibility and optimal design of fiscal measures and voluntary environmental rating schemes to change operator behaviour. This work is informed by contributions from researchers worldwide involved in the OECD project.

Recent AI technological advances, particularly the rise of generative AI, have raised many data governance and privacy questions. However, AI and privacy policy communities often address these issues independently, with approaches that vary between jurisdictions and legal systems. These silos can generate misunderstandings, add complexities in regulatory compliance and enforcement, and prevent capitalising on commonalities between national frameworks. This report focuses on the privacy risks and opportunities stemming from recent AI developments. It maps the principles set in the OECD Privacy Guidelines to the OECD AI Principles, takes stock of national and regional initiatives, and suggests potential areas for collaboration. The report supports the implementation of the OECD Privacy Guidelines alongside the OECD AI Principles. By advocating for international co-operation, the report aims to guide the development of AI systems that respect and support privacy.

This fourth benchmarking report tracks the evolution of policies and actions on terrorist and violent extremist content (TVEC) implemented by the world’s top 50 most popular online content-sharing services ('popular services') and the top 50 most used services to spread TVEC ('intensive services'). In 2023, 17 popular services issued transparency reports with TVEC-specific information, compared to 15 in 2022, marking the slowest year-to-year growth rate since the benchmarking series began in 2020. Only six intensive services issued transparency reports, down from eight in 2022. The fact that only ten services are both popular and intensive highlights the need to examine beyond the largest platforms. Additionally, as more jurisdictions enact online safety laws, the risk of regulatory fragmentation is increasing. This report underscores the necessity for greater transparency and consistency in the approaches of both services and countries.

Ubiquitous access to high-quality broadband connectivity is crucial for digital transformation, economic growth, and productivity. The challenge lies in ensuring sustained long-term investments in broadband infrastructure. This report examines the diversity of actors in the financial landscape of connectivity infrastructure, highlighting trends in broadband network financing and future implications. It focuses on five important groups that invest in and provide funding for broadband infrastructure: communication operators, tower companies, big technology companies, financial asset managers, and the public sector. Communication operators saw revenue growth from 2008 to 2022, but their investment decisions going forward will depend on future returns and interest rates. Meanwhile, tower companies, big technology companies, and financial asset managers are reshaping the connectivity landscape. Finally, the report looks at the public sector, which plays an important role in enabling investments in communication infrastructure.

Measuring the various aspects of cybersecurity across countries is challenging, in part because the actors in the cybersecurity ecosystem often do not have the incentives to share key data. At the same time, people, firms and governments need to feel secure to communicate online and use Internet-based services. This statistical report provides an overview of how cybersecurity is being measured across a variety of data sources and using different methodological approaches. Beginning with a checklist of measurement considerations, the report then discusses existing data from official and non-official sources, identifying when each data source is most useful. The report then provides two proofs of concepts for measuring uncertainty related to cyber risks, or 'cybersecurity uncertainty'. Measuring such uncertainty can complement existing statistics and help anticipate emerging cybersecurity trends, develop more targeted cybersecurity awareness programmes, and promote a more secure and resilient digital ecosystem.

This report introduces cryptography to policy makers and includes key concepts such as symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, public key infrastructure, and end-to-end encryption. It discusses advancements in homomorphic encryption, which allows computations to be performed on encrypted data without decrypting it first and accessing the secret key. Often described as 'the holy grail of cryptography', homomorphic encryption remains a promising area of research rather than a fully developed technology. The report also addresses quantum technologies, which could pose a threat to the foundations of public key cryptography, potentially undermining trust in the digital ecosystem. While current quantum computers are far from causing such disruptions, a transition to quantum-resistant (or post-quantum) cryptography is essential today to address their future impact. Additionally, quantum cryptography shows significant promise for secure communications but is not yet suitable for sensitive applications.