Reports

Open MIC regularly produces reports that are of interest to investors and other professionals. Please feel free to use these materials and contact us with any questions.

Does Privacy Protection Have Borders?:
China’s Data Localization Rule and the Risks for U.S. Tech Companies
September 2018

A growing list of data protection laws worldwide reflects a trend toward respecting privacy, as well as recognition that solid data protection benefits economic and social progress.

However, some authoritarian regimes and governments instead prioritize government surveillance and information control over data protections. China is among them. This has caused serious problems reflected in the practices of many U.S.-headquartered technology companies doing business in China’s booming market.

Formulas for Trouble:
Why Smart Companies Must Tread Carefully with Algorithms
April 2018

Responsible businesses must step up to participate in policy dialogues, advocate for values-based industry practices and help set and implement technical standards that promote long-term, sustainable, and equitable economic solutions. Shareholder engagement is essential to ensure they do. Investors can be key players in encouraging companies to assess and address the potential impacts of algorithms before they are deployed. The purpose of this report is to highlight the critical issues and challenges posed by the race to score gains in the marketplace through the unseen hands of algorithms and AI.

Breaking the Mold:
Investing in Racial Diversity in Tech
February 2017

Across the nation, around the world, advances in technology are the drivers of innovation, opportunities and prosperity. Tech companies spur productivity, make difficult tasks easier and improve lives. They create wealth and provide fulfillment not just for those with the bright ideas, but also for the well-paid workforces that turn the entrepreneurs’ vision and prototypes into products.

Yet in a country with a population growing more diverse each day, the U.S. tech community is monochromatic, a bastion of white, male privilege. People of color largely remain shut out of the tech industry.