PolicyLink seeks research proposals for short white papers or policy analyses to inform a framework we are developing to advance racial equity in tech policy.

The fundamental business model underlying Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and other stalwarts of the digital/platform economy has come up for public and policy debate. Reliant upon the ad-based internet, user data collection at scale, algorithms to track and incentivize user behavior, and concentration of market power to dominate competitors, policymakers are concerned about negative consequences of this business model (or models) on our economy and democracy, and are proposing stronger regulation to ensure competitiveness, privacy, and security.

Racial equity is not yet a facet of this policy debate – but it must be. Systemic racism and inequities in the United States render communities of color particularly vulnerable to the potential harms of tech monopoly power for consumers, workers, and small business owners. Meanwhile, people of color are egregiously underrepresented in Big Tech as producers, owners, suppliers, and employees, and advocates for racial equity are not central voices in tech regulatory debates.

Recognizing the need to bring a racial equity analysis into this debate, PolicyLink is developing a framework for assessing the racial equity implications of tech regulatory policy and creating an actionable toolkit to equip racial equity and civil rights advocates with information they can use to weigh in on the tech regulation debate.

PolicyLink is seeking research proposals for short white papers or policy analyses to inform this framework. We are interested in supporting research that addresses the potential impacts of tech regulation on racial equity outcomes in four arenas: 1) Worker Power, Worker Voice, and Good Jobs; 2) Ownership, Entrepreneurship, and the Racial Wealth Gap; 3) Equitable Access to Goods, Services, and Information; and 4) Democracy and Governance.

To submit a research proposal, please submit a brief document (1-2 pages) sharing how you would address the research question(s) most relevant to your work and expertise, along with your current CV and two writing samples using this form.

Timeline and Process

• Proposals are due August 6, 2021.
• Selected researchers will be notified by August 20, 2021.
• Final papers are due September 30, 2021.
• Given the short research timeframe, these papers would be for internal use initially to inform the framework; however, we hope to further develop these papers to be published with the toolkit on a longer timeline.
• Researchers selected for the white papers will receive a stipend of $8,000 to $10,000 (depending on the total number of papers selected). This stipend is for the delivery of the interally-focused white paper/policy brief.

Research Themes and Questions

Worker Power, Worker Voice, and Good Jobs

Through their outsized power over labor markets, Big Tech companies are shaping the future of work. Many of the jobs that power these companies – from content monitors to mechanical turk workers to Foxconn employees – take place under precarious conditions with minimal labor rights, low wages, and extreme surveillance technology. Big Tech often relies on platforms or multiple levels of subcontracting for these positions, which can prevent worker organizing and employer accountability. Low-income workers and workers of color, both inside and outside the US, are disproportionately impacted by these labor market conditions. Research questions in this topic area include:

1. How would anti-monopoly regulation aimed at large tech companies affect low wage workers and/or access to good jobs? What are the different positive and negative racial equity impacts of different regulatory proposals? What might be the racial equity impacts of shifting from the consumer welfare standard to the abuse of dominance standard in antitrust regulation?

2. How do algorithmic harms from automated management, worker surveillance, and automated recruitment, retention, and termination compound monopolistic harms? How should legislation/regulation account for these intersecting harms?

3. How do alternative ownership and governance models such as cooperatives, worker-owned data, and data trusts compare to the current tech business model in terms of potential racial equity impacts?

Ownership, Entrepreneurship, and the Racial Wealth Gap

Amidst the gaping racial wealth gap, how does the Big Tech business model (or models) impact the accumulation of assets and wealth for people of color through business ownership and growth? Some argue that tools and products created by Big Tech under the current business model are central to small business success. Others claim that the ad-based model and scale prevent smaller tech businesses from becoming profitable. Lawmakers and advocates have also accused Big Tech of other anti-competitive behavior, such as simultaneous marketplace participation and ownership, which could have outsized negative impacts on emerging people-of-color-owned enterprises. Research questions in this topic area include:

4. How might anti-monopoly legislation benefit and/or inadvertently harm the ability of people of color to become entrepreneurs or grow their small businesses?

5. How does the Big Tech business model and the platform economy impact BIPOC entrepreneurs including considerations for business opportunities along the supply chain?

6. How do tech business models exacerbate the racial wealth gap and what tech policy and regulatory approaches would help to close the racial wealth gap?

Equitable Access to Goods, Services, and Information

With its ownership of our digital infrastructure, Big Tech has increasing control over key goods and services, from the news and our social networks to cell phones and home goods. Many have noted that this control, which is at the center of their business model, has led to inequitable outcomes for communities of color. During the 2020 election, people of color were more likely to receive fake stories on their newsfeed. When using services that rely on dynamic pricing, people of color often receive higher rates than their White counterparts. Online ad-targeting practices have repeatedly faced scrutiny for discriminating against users of color. Critics insist that together, these practices create an inequitable internet in which access to goods and services is determined by race. Research questions in this topic area include:

7. How might proposed approaches to modifying section 230 improve or negatively impact equitable access to information in the platform economy?

8. What are the racial equity impacts of current content moderation practices and how might this inform revisions to Section 230?

9. How would alternatives to the ad-based business model, such as a subscription-based model or public utilities model, positively or negatively affect racial equity outcomes?

Democracy and Governance

Beyond the important issue of misinformation and politics described in the previous topic area, might tech regulation impact equitable governance and democratic participation? While this arena is less researched, there is a strong connection between technology and governance, or what some have described as “the algorithmic state.” Big Tech’s business models rely heavily on government contracts – the majority of which are with law-enforcement and military-related agencies such as ICE and the Department of Defense. The use of Big Tech’s products may intensify the surveillance and harm of communities of color that these agencies perpetuate. Tech companies are also beginning to assist with automating other aspects of government services, such as means testing for public services, could place lower-wealth people at risk of discrimination, exclusion, and data extraction. Research questions in this topic area include:

10. What are the racial equity impacts of Big Tech on democratic participation and equitable governance? Would proposed regulations address these impacts? What policies/regulations are desirable?