The Role of Social Media

Senior Advisor on Innovation Alec Ross speaking at Prime PR.

While visiting Stockholm to address a conference of Sweden’s ambassadors, Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Senior Advisor on Innovation Alec Ross also spoke to a group of about 30 business, NGO representatives, and government leaders at an event organized by Prime PR. 

Speaking about current events in North Africa and the Middle East, Ross said that the role of social media and communication technologies was different in each country.  They played a significant role in helping people organize in Egypt, Tunsia, and Syria, but have not been important in Libya. However, Ross said it was clear that “Part of the dictator’s playbook now is to shut down or slow down connection technologies.” He was skeptical that governments attempting to do so would be successful. 

But the importance the internet and connection technologies have taken in everything from rural economic development in Africa to empowering citizens to demand better performance from governments has led Secretary Clinton to elevate the issue of Internet Freedom to an important global foreign policy and human rights issue. See her most recent speech on Internet Freedom.

Mr. Ross also spoke about the central role that innovation must play in driving future economic growth in the United States and other advanced economies. President Obama is focused on this through his innovation agenda (PDF 474 KB) that calls for investments in education, science and research & development – particularly in clean energy.