In this technology snapshot, HCSS strategic analyst Hugo van Manen discusses Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference and that Apple will switch the iPhone’s charging port from Lightning to USB-C as of 2023.
A likely explanation for Apple’s change in policy is the EU’s revised Radio Equipment Directive. This can be viewed through the lens of the EU increasing pursuit of antitrust-related measures to erode the influence of large American technology companies. Van Manen argues that the EU’s reliance on antitrust measures can be understood as a vector for combating techno-nationalism.
As recognition of the economic, military, and strategic relevance of, access to, and control over the distribution of modern technologies has grown, so, too, has the prevalence of the sentiment that a nation’s technological innovation and capabilities are directly linked to its national security, economic prosperity, and social stability. This can be understood as techno-nationalism.
Find out more about techno-nationalism and “European strategic autonomy” in the HCSS video explainer below:
Video pitch by Assistant Analyst (PR & communications) Alessandra Barrow
