#2 Policymaking at Internet Speed

Digital technology and the economic activity it drives are evolving at speeds that far ex-ceed the ability of traditional policymaking structures and approaches to keep up. Mobile has gone from a nascent to near-dominant online technology in a few short years. Social media barely existed a decade ago. Policy re-sponses that fail to take into account how quickly technologies—and the innovations they enable—evolve can cause friction. Com-plicating matters further is the fact that the Internet is a global phenomenon, and many of the concerns to which it gives rise are also global in nature. They require some form of global, coordinated policymaking solution.

#3 Can Consumers Continue to Trust Online Interactions?

Our research into consumers’ attitudes toward doing things online shows that, in many cases, consumers are ahead of both businesses and policymakers in their use of digital and social media and their desire for more, better, and easier digital interaction.

We have also found, however, that a significant issue of trust with respect to the use of personal data underlies these interactions.

#4 The Choice for Businesses

Businesses need to make a choice. They can rise to the challenge of a new Internet-driven marketplace—and benefit from the expanded capabilities and higher growth rates that many companies are already achieving. The alternative is to follow in the footsteps of such industries as music and publishing, which held on to outdated business models for too long and are now dealing with competitive environments that have been re-shaped around them.