In Digital Social Innovation to Empower Democracy, Audrey Tang—Taiwan’s pioneering Digital Minister—shares a compelling vision of how technology can enhance democracy through openness, collaboration, and trust. Speaking with characteristic warmth and clarity, Tang explains how Taiwan became a model for participatory digital governance by treating citizens not as subjects of policy but as partners in innovation.

She begins by recounting Taiwan’s journey toward digital transformation—how civic hackers, activists, and government officials worked together to solve real-world problems using open-source tools. Through initiatives like vTaiwan and Join.gov.tw, citizens co-designed policies on issues ranging from Uber regulation to COVID-19 mask distribution. Tang emphasizes that these systems are not just digital—they are social innovations that amplify empathy, accountability, and shared understanding.

Tang introduces the concept of “fast, fair, and fun” democracy:

• Fast: governments respond quickly to citizen input.

• Fair: all voices are included through open, transparent processes.

• Fun: engagement feels meaningful, creative, and human.

Throughout the talk, she contrasts this collaborative model with the divisive effects of misinformation and opaque decision-making. Tang demonstrates how open data, real-time feedback, and participatory design have strengthened Taiwan’s democratic resilience while countering cyber interference and disinformation.

Her conclusion is both practical and philosophical: democracy, she argues, must evolve from a slow system of voting every few years to a living system of continuous listening, learning, and co-creation—powered by digital social innovation.

In this concise interview, Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s former Digital Minister, outlines the key principles behind Taiwan’s success in digital governance and public trust. Speaking with precision and calm enthusiasm, she describes how open data, real-time collaboration, and civic participation formed the backbone of Taiwan’s COVID-19 response and its fight against disinformation.

Tang explains that Taiwan’s government works with its citizens, not against them—treating information as a shared resource rather than a tool of control. She highlights Taiwan’s unique “humor over rumor” strategy, where memes and creativity are used to counter misinformation faster than falsehoods can spread. This approach, she notes, builds engagement through empathy and play rather than fear or censorship.

She also discusses the broader idea of digital democracy—a system where citizens co-create policy through transparent online platforms and open collaboration. By crowdsourcing ideas, analyzing collective feedback, and maintaining open APIs for civic innovation, Taiwan has demonstrated that technology can reinforce democracy rather than undermine it.

Tang concludes with a vision of participatory governance rooted in transparency and trust, showing that when citizens are empowered to help solve problems, society becomes both more innovative and more resilient.

In How Digital Innovation Can Fight Pandemics and Strengthen Democracy, Audrey Tang—Taiwan’s former Digital Minister and architect of its digital democracy—presents a deep, data-driven exploration of how open collaboration and civic technology can transform governance and crisis management.

Speaking at a global policy forum, Tang begins by recounting Taiwan’s early response to COVID-19. Within days of the outbreak, digital tools—built by civic technologists and supported by the government—helped track mask availability, distribute supplies fairly, and crowdsource solutions. Tang emphasizes that the key wasn’t just technology, but trust: transparent communication, real-time data sharing, and citizen participation created collective confidence.

She explains how digital democracy operates in Taiwan through initiatives like vTaiwan and Join.gov.tw, which allow citizens to debate, vote, and contribute to policy decisions. Tang outlines her “three fast principles” for modern governance:

1. Fast Response – Empowering local innovation through open APIs and shared data.

2. Fast Restoration – Rebuilding trust through transparency and inclusive participation.

3. Fast Resilience – Ensuring civic empowerment becomes habit, not emergency reaction.

The second half of the talk expands on how these systems counter misinformation and digital authoritarianism. Tang demonstrates how “humor over rumor” and participatory fact-checking created viral truth faster than viral lies. She contrasts Taiwan’s collaborative model with top-down digital surveillance approaches, showing that democracy thrives when citizens feel ownership of information.

Her closing reflections center on Plurality—a global philosophy that views diversity as strength and technology as a connector, not divider. She urges governments and technologists worldwide to embrace openness, empathy, and experimentation to ensure that democracy evolves as fast as technology does.