Proposers' Names: Dr. Stefania Milan & Dr. Arne Hintz
Proposer's Organization: DATACTIVE, University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) & Data Justice Lab, Cardiff University (United Kingdom)
Session Format: Round Table - 90 Min
Speaker: Eva Blum-Dumontet (Privacy International)
Speaker: Malavika Jayaram (Asian Digital Hub, Hong Kong)
Speaker: Sunil Abraham (Center for Internet and Society, India)
Speaker: Joana Varon (Coding Rights, Brazil)
Speaker: Sebastián Becker (Datos Protegidos, Chile)
Speaker: Lisa Vermeer (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands)
Speaker: Madeline Carr (University College London, UK)
Content of the Session:
This roundtable will address the current theme of big data analytics and the consequences of datafication on social life, and it will advance our understanding of the implications of these for internet governance. It will survey trends and developments from around the globe, including changes to surveillance policy (such as the UK Investigatory Powers Bill) and citizen registration (such as the Indian Aadhaar system and the planned Chinese social credit scores). While these issues have, so far, been discussed either by scholars in the emerging field of critical data studies or by the business sector in debates over the Internet of Things and smart devices, this session will bring together different stakeholders for a joint discussion on the consequences of datafication for our digital present and future. It will connect the challenges of datafication to the internet governance agenda, and identify shared concerns and policy needs.
The session has four main GOALS:
1. Explore key trends and developments in the area of datafication, and the consequences of ‘big data’ collection and analysis for social justice and human rights
2. Identify the implications of these developments for the broader Internet Governance agenda and for the role of IGF in particular
3. Formulate, through the promotion of a multistakeholder dialogue on the subject matter, recommendations for a management of data which respects human rights and promote social justice
4. Explore the possibility for the emergence of a transnational mobilization connecting issues of datafication (e.g., surveillance, monitoring, sharing, ethics…) with the social justice and human rights agenda.
The expected OUTCOMES include the following:
i. A better, more nuanced understanding of current trend of datafication and its implications for Internet Governance
ii. A transnational, multistakeholder dialogue on the implications of datafication, exploring the possibility for the creation of a Dynamic Coalition or similar discussion space within the IGF process
iii. A multistakeholder commitment to contribute to draft policy recommendations for a management of data which respects human rights and promotes social justice.
The intended AGENDA for the session revolves around two rounds of short (5-8') provocative statements by invited speakers. After a brief introduction to the session by the proposers/organisers, illustrating the main challenges of big data analytics and datafication and their implications for social justice as well as the rational for the session, the speakers will present on the following topics:
- Eva Blum-Dumontet (Privacy International): Overview of the consequences of datafication from the perspective of civil society
- Malavika Jayaram (Digital Asia Hub): The Chinese citizen score system and other developments of datafication in East Asia
- Sunil Abraham (CIS): The Indian Aadhaar system and citizen identification globally
- Joana Varon (Coding Rights): Data-based citizen monitoring in Latin America
- Sebastián Becker (Datos Protegidos): Data protection in the Global South
- Lisa Vermeer (Ministry of ``foreign Affairs, The Netherlands): The need for public policy
- Madeline Carr (University College London): Datafication and the IG agenda
The floor will then be open for discussion, on issues including but not limited to 1. identify key challenges and opportunities; 2. propose policy recommendations; 3. explore the feasibility of a dedicated Dynamic Coalition (or similar space for multistakeholder dialogue).
Relevance of the Session:
The mass collection and processing of data--and its many social, political and economic consequences--is a key debate of our time, central to the way our digital present and future are shaped. The analysis of ‘big data’, and its collection through social media, ‘smart devices’, and the Internet of Things have opened new avenues for economic wealth creation, law enforcement and public administration. The use of this data in governance, however, and the possible consequences for citizen rights and social justice are just starting to be explored. Data about users, consumers and citizens may increase governance efficiency, but putting human activity and behavior into data points may lead to challenges for civic rights and may transform state-corporate-citizen relations.
Data from a variety of both online and offline activities is increasingly used to categorize citizens, allocate services, and predict future behavior. This includes, for example, financial credit scores, education and health scores, data scores used in the criminal justice system, and ‘risk’ scores of refugees and families. The Aadhaar identification system in India and the social credit score currently developed in China represent particularly comprehensive attempts at data-based governance. Beyond initial research and occasional news reports, little is known about the uses of such data in governance and, particularly, what opportunities and challenges it might have for Internet Governance. Moreover, occasions for multistakeholder discussion on these issues are at best rare, so far. This session will therefore explore the facts of this emerging debate and explore common grounds between stakeholders.
Tag 1: Big Data
Tag 2: Surveillance
Tag 3: Social Justice
Diversity:
The organizers strive to have a balanced composition of the speakers both by gender (half/half) and geography (covering Asia, the Americas, and Europe). Participants are expected to embody different policy perspectives.
Onsite Moderator: Stefania Milan
Online Moderator: Arne Hintz
Rapporteur: Vidushi Marda
Online Participation:
Online attendees will have a separate queue and microphone. The online moderator will keep his eyes on the screen, frequently asking questions to the online participants in view of stimulating their participation. After every question from the room, the word will go automatically to online participants, striving to ensure equal opportunities. The online moderator will communicate regularly with the onsite moderator--both have experience in this type of interaction to support online participation.
Discussion facilitation:
See above. Interventions from invited speakers will be kept to the bare mimimum, and designed to stimulate reactions from the audience. The speakers will be divided in two groups, and discussion will happen both mid-way and at the end of the presentations. Both the moderators are experiences in this type of format, and able to enforce strict time limits.
Conducted a Workshop in IGF before?: Yes
Link to Report: http://igf2015.intgovforum.org/event/12f25d85c2c8b3473ea31697922fe53a
