Nick Wallace
Nick Wallace was a senior policy analyst at ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation. He previously worked as a government technology policy analyst at Ovum, a global consultancy based in London. He has a master’s degree in public policy jointly awarded from the Central European University in Budapest and the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals and a bachelor’s degree in politics from Liverpool John Moores University. Wallace speaks English, Spanish, and German.
Recent Publications
The EU Cannot Shape the Future of AI with Regulation
As Nick Wallace writes for EUobserver, over-regulating artificial intelligence now risks the EU’s chance for global influence over the technology's future.
How Canada, the EU, and the U.S. Can Work Together to Promote ICT Development and Use
Boosting transatlantic cooperation on ICT policy would allow Canada, the EU, and the United States to address global ICT challenges and support their domestic economies by raising productivity.
Europe is About to Lose the Global AI Race – Thanks to GDPR
The GDPR imposes such tight restrictions on the use of personal data that the EU will be unable to keep up with the rest of the world using AI to streamline their economies, Nick Wallace writes for Euractiv.
Policymakers Must Be Careful on ‘Platform Regulation’
As the Center for Data Innovation’s Nick Wallace writes for EUobserver, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union should not make drastic changes to a proposed regulation to compel online platforms to publish their policies on third-party sellers and to apply those policies consistently.
EU Should Not Make Platforms the Judges of Free Speech
Platforms should remove indisputably illegal content. But as the Center for Data Innovation’s Nick Wallace writes for EUobserver, forcing platforms to remove less obviously illegal content would threaten lawful free speech.
The Impact of the EU’s New Data Protection Regulation on AI
The EU’s new data privacy rules, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), will have a negative impact on the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Europe, putting EU firms at a competitive disadvantage compared with their competitors in North America and Asia.
EU e-Privacy Proposal Risks Breaking ‘Internet of Things’
The Internet of Things offers myriad benefits to European society. But the European Union’s forthcoming ePrivacy Regulation could throw sand in the gears of progress. As Nick Wallace writes for EUobserver, policymakers should narrow the scope of the regulation while they still have the opportunity.
Germany’s Network Agency Should Stop Telling Parents to Smash Their Kids’ Toys
Germany’s Federal Network Agency recently issued a blanket ban on children’s smartwatches that offer an audio link. As Nick Wallace writes, the agency’s position is not only bad for children, but suggests that German regulators might ban other smart devices that make up the Internet of Things.
ECJ Should Rule Against Austrian Online Censorship Lawsuit
Since countries have different laws on the limits to free speech, none should be allowed to censor social media beyond its borders. The ECJ should make that clear when it decides the Glawischnig case.
Comments to the EU’s Article 29 Working Party on Guidelines for Automated Decisions
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation submitted comments to the Article 29 Working Party, the advisory body of European privacy regulators, on its guidelines regarding algorithmic decision-making and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Comments to the European Commission on Fairness in Platform-to-Business Relations
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation submitted comments to the European Commission in response to its recent impact assessment on “fairness in platform-to-business relations,” a study to investigate practices by online platforms—digital services that cater to two-sided markets—in their relations with other businesses.
Some EU Regulators Still Don’t Get Internet Economics
If the EU intends to build a Digital Single Market home to the next generation of tech companies, then it needs consistent policies that allow businesses in all sectors to take advantage of online advertising.
Recent Events and Presentations
Integrating Europe’s AI and Cybersecurity Strategies
The European Commission is pursuing major initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. AI provides attackers new cybersecurity vulnerabilities, but it is also a powerful tool for automating cyber defenses.
How Can Europe Unleash its Untapped Data?
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation hosted a conversation about data sharing in Europe and the steps policymakers can take to make more data available and reusable in Europe.
How to Guarantee the Free Flow of Data in Europe
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ostensibly outlaws barriers to the flow of personal data between EU countries, and in September 2017, the European Commission published a draft regulation for a similar rule on non-personal data transfers. Yet a plethora of questions remain. How should policymakers address the remaining obstacles to data flows outside the union?
The State of Data Innovation in the EU
How Europe Can Kickstart Its Internet of Things
Join ITIF's Center for Data Innovation for a panel discussion on the strategies countries are using to support the Internet of Things, the early European successes with this technology, and the opportunities for policymakers in the EU and member states to support the development and deployment of smart technologies.