Shape the future of digital technology policy with our MPA at UCL STEaPP
Digital technology is inextricably linked with our everyday lives, and it has been for some time. After all, Generation Z cannot even remember a time before mobile phones and the Internet. Yet with digital technology comes responsibility. And issues such as our online security, the protection of our data and privacy, discriminatory outcomes delivered by algorithms, and the dominance of the tech giants, are becoming increasingly urgent to tackle.

Digital innovation as a whole is powerful. We just need to look at the Covid-19 pandemic to see how it keeps us connected, helps manage societal risk, and enables us to adapt to incredibly fast-moving situations. Track and trace systems and vaccine passports were all rolled out at lightning speed in countries around the world. Existing technology had to improve very quickly too, supporting new ways of life such as the focus on remote working.
Yet, as digital technology becomes an increasingly seamless part of life, setting the rules on how we implement and govern innovation becomes ever-critical. Without responsible governance, digital technologies can diminish our fundamental rights, such as privacy or non-discriminatory access to public services. We can become targets of cybersecurity attacks, risking our personal data and our physical safety. Democratic processes can be compromised. And misinformation such as fake news can go viral in minutes.
Governments and organisations are responding to the risks of digital technologies steadily. The recently introduced Online Safety Bill helps keep users safe, and places more accountability on the tech giants. The Digital Markets Act has also been brought in to limit the power of the big online platforms, such as search engines and social media providers, which will lessen the impact each platform can have on society. Yet authorities are often playing catch-up when it comes to regulating the rapidly expanding digital space, and these new legislative initiatives are not without trade-offs and shortcomings.
Looking into the future, the responsible implementation of digital technology requires decision-makers and leaders who can weave these critical aspects into the launch of new technologies as and when they happen.
UCL Digital Technologies and Policy MPA
Responding to this urgent need in society, the Digital Technologies and Policy MPA at UCL is a degree programme that hones in on the way current and emerging digital technologies are governed. Choices about which digital innovations to invest in, to bring to market, and to implement are never neutral. They come with benefits, challenges and risks – and a future generation of experts is needed to navigate the issues in digital technology policy.
In this programme, students from across the world come together to explore the emerging dilemmas in digital technology policy from a truly socio-technical perspective. Taught by established academic experts and practitioners – people who directly contribute to important policy debates – the programme first focuses on understanding the critical infrastructure that supports digital systems and services: the Internet. Without a technical appreciation of how the construction and development of the Internet shapes the issues we face at the platform or application layer, where we see digital technologies interact with us as individuals, we cannot rigorously address all aspects of digital technology policy. From this we build on and focus on critical issues, ranging from cybersecurity to online harms. Students also explore topics from a truly interdisciplinary perspective, bringing in not just politics and policy studies, but also perspectives from economics, law, international relations, computer science, and cognitive psychology to address critical issues ranging from antitrust rules in digital markets, to privacy, misinformation and disinformation.
A core aspect of the programme is an individual or group project with a real world partner organisation from the digital technology policy field. This is an opportunity to put learning into practice, and for students to understand how they will be able to shape or create policy in this crucial area in their future careers. Previous projects students have worked on include how to regulate intelligent medical devices – working with the British Standards Institution (BSI) or the pros and cons of encryption, working with the Internet Society. Notably, students of the programme also have access to opportunities such as the UK Cyber 9/12 strategy challenge, as well as several extracurricular events and career sessions to meet industry experts and alumni.
Your future in digital technology policy
Digital technologies transcend sectors and weave into all aspects of life, so graduates of this programme could find themselves working in diverse roles and sectors. Specific career prospects include starting up advocacy or consultancy businesses in this field, working with government regulators such as OFCOM, or embarking on graduate schemes with big industry players such as IBM. Working in standards-making bodies, in fintech, or for industry associations such as techUK, are also key possibilities and realities for many of our hardworking graduates.
Digital technology and innovation are now widely seen to be crucial for economic prosperity, along with the smooth running of society and its ever-growing population. The debate is changing rapidly from where it was say 30 years ago (Harvard Business Review), where the focus was mostly on rapid gain investment and innovation in this field. Now, we are looking at how digital innovation can occur in a responsible manner, without causing harm or undermining principles that are important in society. Focusing on AI as an example (McKinsey), we have seen what the effects of introducing algorithmic tools in digital healthcare can mean for patient safety and the security of our health infrastructure, or when an adversary feeds disinformation to a military AI system. These are the very real issues that policy makers, technology developers and society as a whole are, and should be, grappling with today.
In some digital technology areas, regulation and policy are nowhere near catching up with the speed of innovation itself, while in others we are seeing interesting, hotly debated developments, such as emerging AI regulations. This fact also presents a significant opportunity for individuals who are interested in this field to carve out an area of expertise for themselves. This future generation of digital technology policy experts have the potential to create, manage and contribute to the responsible regulation of the digital systems and processes that impact so many aspects of our lives. The future of digital technology is now in the design of responsible governance – and future changemakers need to be ready and waiting with their knowledge, energy and ideas. Ultimately, digital technology policy experts have the potential to make huge societal impact and it is this mentality we foster in our MPA in Digital Technologies and Policy at UCL STEaPP.