Featured

The Global Governance of Online Harms



Published
The free flow of information is an integral part of the liberal international order. Architects of today’s open digital ecosystem hoped it would foster democracy and economic development globally. In recent years, the rise of various forms of online harm have cast doubt on this original belief. Mis- and disinformation, political polarization, the illiberal use of state and corporate power over the digital ecosystem, and the amplification and commodification of extremist content and hate speech increasingly challenge liberal values. The tension between, on the one hand, the right to free speech and the right of governments to regulate speech in democratic societies and, on the other hand, the abuse of these rights for illiberal ends are becoming a key global governance challenge.

Global coordination and potentially new international regimes for online regulation are needed. No single government can effectively protect democratic values from the triple impact of the transnational flow of information, the asymmetric power of tech companies, and the illiberal behavior of particular governments. The goal of this multi-event conference is to address this global governance challenge head-on. By bringing together international experts, policymakers, and civil stakeholders, it will explore the nature of online harm and possible global governance innovations to address them.

**AGENDA**

9:00 AM - 9:15 AM Opening Remarks
Speakers:

Jennifer Welsh
Taylor Owen

1. 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM ET
A conversation with Cory Doctorow: Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back

Speaker: Cory Doctorow

Moderator: Sonja Solomun

2. 10:30 AM - NOON ET
EXPERT PANEL 1: The Global Nature of Online Harms

The last few years have exposed significant political challenges and threats to democracy by way of our digital ecosystem. One core aspect of these challenges is the way in which digital platforms can be used to inflict significant harm against individuals and groups in society. This first panel will explore how online harms manifest as a global problem and what challenges they raise for their governance.

Speakers:

Anja Kovacs
Isabelle Mondou
Peter MacLeod
Rachel Pulfer

Moderator: Taylor Owen

3. 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET
EXPERT PANEL 2: New frameworks for governing the global nature of online harms

While governments, civil society and industry actors around the world are attempting to address a range of online hams, often through forms of national regulation, international governance coordination and innovation remain a challenge. This second panel will discuss ongoing and potentially innovative governance processes at a transnational or global level that can prevent and mitigate online harms.

Speakers:

David Kaye
Rana Sarkar
Kate Klonick
Katherine Maher

Moderator: Jennifer Welsh

4. 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM ET
The Beatty Lecture presents a STUDENT CONVERSATION with Maria Ressa and Frances Haugen
Category
Job
Be the first to comment