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Governance Innovation for a Connected World: Protecting Free Expression, Diversity and Civic Engagement in the Global Digital Ecosystem
CIGI Special Report
Series: Internet Governance
Communications move farther, faster and at greater volumes than ever before in history. The internet, and the social media platforms and web applications running on it, have been used to mobilize pro-democracy protests and give members of marginalized communities a chance to share their voices with the world. More recently, however, we have also seen technology used to spread propaganda and misinformation, interfere in election campaigns, expose individuals to harassment and abuse, and stir up confusion, animosity and sometimes violence.
It is easy to say that governments should step in to control this space, but part of what helped the internet grow and thrive was its lack of heavy regulation, which encouraged openness and innovation. However, the absence of oversight has allowed dysfunction to spread, as maligned actors manipulate digital technology for their own ends without fear of the consequences. It has also allowed unprecedented power to be concentrated in the hands of private technology companies, enabling them to act as de facto regulators with little meaningful accountability. Who should be in charge of reversing the troubling developments in our global digital spaces? And what, if anything, can be done to let society keep reaping the benefits of these technologies, while protecting it against the risks?
These questions were at the root of an international working meeting organized by CIGI and the Global Digital Policy Incubator, in cooperation with the Department of Canadian Heritage, and held at Stanford University in March 2018. It brought together representatives from government, academia, technology companies and civil society to discuss potential governance options to deal with these complex global challenges. These conversations were informed by the essays that comprise this special report.
These essays focus on freedom of expression and new forms of state surveillance and censorship; how current regulatory documents conform to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the private sector's role in preserving a healthy and diverse online environment and the current actions of, and recommendations for, major tech companies; and a commitment to the multi-stakeholder approach that is open, transparent and consensus-based.
The goal of this report and those involved in its formation is to enhance free expression, diversity and democracy at the same time as we protect human rights and encourage innovation. The contributions from the authors included in this report, offer a starting point for thinking about and discussing the best possible ways to get there.
Part of Series
The need to develop a coherent strategy for internet governance ensuring that difficult trade-offs between competing interests, as well as between distinct public values, are managed in a consistent, transparent and accountable manner that accurately reflects public priorities guided the members of this research project, launched in 2012. In aiming to develop this strategy, project members considered what kind of internet the world wants in 2020, laying the analytical groundwork for future internet governance discussions, most notably the decennial review of the World Summit on the Information Society. The Internet Governance paper series resulted in the publication of a book in 2014.
Eileen Donahoe
Fen Osler Hampson
It's Time to Start Thinking about Politically Biased AI
Nestor Maslej
Platform Governance
Digital Infrastructure Is Essential to Modern Life: So Is Its Regulation
Natasha Tusikov
Faced with Foreign Interference, How Should Democracies Respond?
Akshay Singh
Preserving Liberal Democracy Requires Renewed Global Effort
After the Emergencies Act: Canada Needs an Intelligence System Review
Greg Fyffe
In Brazil, the Courts' Efforts to Curb Disinformation Had Unintended Consequences
Ivar Hartmann
Can Elections Survive the Digital Age?
Panthea Pourmalek
Yves Tiberghien
Heidi Tworek
War Games Offer Partial Picture of a Future China-US Clash Over Taiwan
Amid Threats to Digital Freedoms, There Is Reason for Optimism
Latino Voters a Target of Disinformation on Messaging Apps
Inga Trauthig
Samuel Woolley
Canada's Convoy Protest Made Everyone a Doxer
Matt Malone
Platforms' Efforts to Block Antisemitic Content Are Falling Short
Gabrielle Beacken
Central Banking (20)
Digital Currency (49)
Emerging Technology (187)
Financial Systems (614)
G20/G7 (308)
Gender (101)
Innovation Economy (204)
Internet Governance (212)
NAFTA/CUSMA (63)
Platform Governance (432)
Standards (37)
Surveillance & Privacy (153)
WTO (87)
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