ABSTRACT
SUMMARY Studies of new technology and work usually take the available technology as an independent variable. However, today's technology is the result of scientific and political choices made yesterday, and tomorrow's technology will be the result of choices made today. In the field of telecommunication we are living in a period where choices are made about the technological and legal infrastructure on the national level and the level of the European Community. These choices are not based on an assessment of social risks and on comparisons between different alternatives. Based on an interdisciplinary research project this chapter summarizes the discussion about social risks, technical and legal alternatives and develops four alternative paths of further development, which shall serve as a basis for further scientific and political discussion.
