Session
Organizer 1: Julia Haas, 🔒OSCE
Speaker 1: Julia Haas, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 2: Deniz Wagner, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 3: Tetiana Avdieieva, Civil Society, Eastern European Group
Julia Haas, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Julia Haas, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Julia Haas, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Debate - 90 Min
- To what extent are international standards and guidance on AI and freedom of expression applicable in times of crises?
- Which situations require a tailored approach to safeguarding free speech in the use of AI?
- How can and should international standards on AI and freedom of expression be tailored to crisis situations and times of democratic decision-making?
[More policy questions in the description text.]
What will participants gain from attending this session? Session participants will learn about OSCE guidance on ensuring states uphold their commitments towards freedom of expression and media freedom in the digital realm, including by providing appropriate regulatory frameworks for platforms and their (automated) content governance. During this session, the RFoM wants to explore the role of automated content governance in times crisis and democratic decision-making.
Description:
Access to accurate, diverse and public interest content is crucial for democratic societies and individuals’ informed decision-making, in particular during election periods and democratic deliberations. Also times of conflict, natural disasters, or health crises – so-called “information critical moments” – highlight the significance of access to accurate and timely information for individual decision-making, public awareness, and the overall well-being of communities. Online information can empower individuals and communities, thus contributing to a resilient, active citizenry and sustained democracies.
Despite platform and content governance being widely discussed, there is no convergence on whether states, platforms or other actors should promote or proactively disseminate certain information. It is clear, however, that the way content is governed by dominant online platforms that have become gatekeepers to information is not only relevant for the realization of free speech and media pluralism but, ultimately, for peace and security.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war against Ukraine, various online platforms have strengthened efforts to combat mis-/disinformation, but also prioritized official messages and proactively provided authoritative information. Could this be seen as turning point towards value-oriented content recommender systems? Should states compel platforms to privilege media and public interest content, especially in times of crisis? Should platforms label independent quality media, and if so how? Can crisis-specific policies around proactively providing authoritative information be a way forward to ensure human rights-friendly content governance? What are the different implications depending on regional, language and situation-specific contexts?
This session aims at exploring what different stakeholders should do to promote access to accurate, diverse and public interest content, in particular in times of crisis and democratic decision-making, striving to identify ways forward to avoid informational chaos or disorder on the one side, and commercial or political content control on the other side, in order to facilitate democratic discourse.
The aim of the session is to present OSCE key recommendations for the protection of freedom of expression and other human rights in the context of content governance during crisis situations, and to explore what different stakeholders should do to promote access to accurate, diverse and public interest content, in particular in times of crisis and democratic decision-making.
Hybrid Format: The session moderators will facilitate discussions both on-site and online to ensure inclusive debates. Speakers will be both on-site and online. The speakers will be key contributors who will set the scene but the focus is on moderated discussions rather than a formal panel set-up.