When we think of a city’s critical infrastructure, our minds naturally drift to visible networks like railways, roads, and power grids. But in an era where the fluffy innocence of \"the cloud\" translates into massive, high-impact physical data centres, shouldn't we view digital systems with the same material urgency?
With the UK government’s landmark decision to ban social media for under-16s exposing a stark pacing gap between lightning-fast technological development and decades-late legislation, a pressing question emerges: can policymakers truly strike a balance between protecting citizens and fostering innovation, or are national solutions fundamentally toothless against global tech giants?
In this third episode of A City That Works - the brand-new podcast from The Finsbury Institute at City St George's, University of London - host Diana Beech is joined by Adham Harker (Senior Associate in Media and Communications Law at Brett Wilson) and Dr Elinor Carmi (Senior Lecturer in Data Politics and Social Justice at City St George's). Aiming to bring research, policy, and practice together to ensure the City of London continues to thrive amid an era of profound change, technological disruption, and social transformation, they unpack the complex friction between global digital power and local community sovereignty. From the impassioned community resistance against data centres in Brick Lane to the sobering national security vulnerabilities of sub-surface fibre optic cables in Tower Hamlets, they challenge us to look beneath the surface of our digital metropolis.
Moving beyond the fear of cyber threats, this episode explores the vital, often overlooked roles of digital inclusion, media literacy, and the human workers who quietly maintain our tech infrastructure. By tackling the commercial incentives behind fraudulent advertising and charting a hopeful roadmap towards a safer-by-design technological framework for 2035, this discussion provides a rigorous, cross-sector perspective on ensuring the City of London remains competitive, safe, fair, and vibrant for all those who live, work, invest, and trade in it.
Join the Conversation: If you have a comment on any of the themes discussed, we would love to hear from you. Follow The Finsbury Institute on LinkedIn to share your thoughts or visit us on The Finsbury Institute website.
This series is proudly funded by the School of Policy and Global Affairs at City St George’s.
You can access a transcript of this conversation here.
This is a Research Podcasts production.
Episode Credits
Presenter: Diana Beech, Director of The Finsbury Institute at City St George's
Guests: Elinor Carmi and Adham Harker
Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts
Editor: Alex Canner, Research Podcasts
Music: Indie House - Modern City, Sonican from Pixabay
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