Sign in Subscribe
10 min read predictions

What will happen in tech policy during 2026?

Will this year mark the end of US digital leadership? Will AI slop overrun elections worldwide? Here are my predictions for the next 12 months.
What will happen in tech policy during 2026?
This image was created via Chat-GPT

IT'S MONDAY, AND THIS IS DIGITAL POLITICS. I'm Mark Scott, and Happy New Year!

As I plan for the year ahead, I'm looking to arrange more in-person events — mostly because it's great to connect with people in real life. If that sounds something you'd be interested in, please fill out this survey to help my planning.

Just as the last newsletter looked back over what happened in 2025, this first edition of the new year focuses on how global tech policy will evolve over the next 12 months. I've skipped the clichés — 'AI will consume everything,' 'Washington and Brussels won't get along' — to highlight macro trends that, imo, will underpin what will likely be a bumpy road ahead.

Some of my predictions will be wrong. That's OK — no one's perfect.

What follows is my best guess at the topics which will dominate 2026 at a time when geopolitics, technology and economic competitiveness have become intertwined like never before.

Let's get started:

This post is for paying subscribers only