Ideas worth spreading

How digital innovation can fight pandemics and strengthen democracy

438,449 views | Audrey Tang • TED2020

Can technology create a democracy that's fast, fair ... and even fun? Digital minister Audrey Tang shares how Taiwan avoided a COVID-19 shutdown in early 2020 through innovations like developing apps to map mask availability, crowdsourcing ideas that could become laws and creating a "humor over rumor" campaign to combat disinformation with comedy. (This virtual conversation, hosted by TED science curator David Biello and current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was recorded June 1, 2020.)

Can technology create a democracy that's fast, fair ... and even fun? Digital minister Audrey Tang shares how Taiwan avoided a COVID-19 shutdown in early 2020 through innovations like developing apps to map mask availability, crowdsourcing ideas that could become laws and creating a "humor over rumor" campaign to combat disinformation with comedy. (This virtual conversation, hosted by TED science curator David Biello and current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was recorded June 1, 2020.)

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speakers

Digital Minister of Taiwan

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Audrey Tang is Taiwan's digital minister in charge of social innovation.

TED science curator, author

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David Biello is TED's science curator and the author of "The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth's Newest Age."

Whitney Pennington Rodgers

TED current affairs curator

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Whitney Pennington Rodgers is an award-winning journalist and media professional.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.