LAB 8 - Social media freedom and accountability

7 November 2019 - 14.30-16.30 - ROOM 5 - Interpretation: FR/EN

Social media are at the core of information nowadays. This lab will tackle the pressing issue that is quality control of shared information in social media, through monitoring and accountability mechanism mainly. How can we use social media as an ally for critically assessing topical subjects? How do we hold them accountable for the information that goes through them? Is social media moderation and freedom of expression compatible?

initiative 1

The Social Media Councils, Article 19, United Kingdom

While social media companies initially appeared as neutral providers of hosting services, and although there can be no doubt that they are important facilitators of online flows of information and ideas, their role in the circulation of online content has become increasingly controversial. Finding an approach for online content moderation that protects freedom of expression has become an increasingly pressing concern. ARTICLE 19 proposes the creation of Social Media Councils (SMCs) – a multi-stakeholder accountability mechanism that would provide an open, transparent, accountable and participatory forum to address content moderation issues on social media platforms on the basis of international standards on human rights.

Presenter(s)

Pierre-François DOCQUIR

Head of Media Freedom at Article 19

United Kingdom

Pierre François Docquir (PhD) is a researcher and expert in the fields of Human Rights Law, Internet and Media Law and Regulation. He joined ARTICLE 19 in 2015 as senior legal officer and is now the head of the Media Freedom Programme of the organisation. He previously served as vice-president of the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel in French-speaking Belgium (2007-2015). He obtained his PhD in Law in 2009 (Université Libre de Bruxelles) and was a lawyer at the Brussel’s Bar (2000-2004). His work focuses on the protection of freedom of expression in the changing context of contemporary media landscapes.

initiative 2

Creating Digital Safe Spaces and Preserving the Public Sphere, University of Hong Kong

This initiative attempts to examine the technological, social-psychological, and economic conditions that would lead to the creation of digital “safe spaces”, i.e. social media environments in which citizens could freely express themselves and obtain timely and verified public affairs information.

Presenter(s)

Marko SKORIC

Associate Professor at the Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong / Serbia

Marko M. Skoric is Associate Professor at the Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Michigan, and a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University College London, UK. His research interests are focused on new media and social change, with particular emphasis on civic and political implications of digital technologies. He is a member of editorial boards of International Journal of Public Opinion Research and New Media & Society and chairs the CeDEM Asia conference series and Digital Asia series of International Communication Association preconferences.

initiative 3

ALEX (algorithms exposed), TREX, Italy

ALEX is a research project based upon a free software named Tracking Exposed (TREX). ALEX’s goal is to increase transparency behind personalization algorithms so that people can have more effective control of their online experience and more awareness of the information to which they are exposed. It offers tools of digital empowering and algorithm literacy to social media users. They then provide data, and ALEX produce academic research on algorithm influence, that thus becomes an input for policymakers and journalists.

Presenter(s)

Leonardo SANNA

PhD Fellow, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Italy

Leonardo Sanna has been a contract doctoral student at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) since November 2018, where he has been working on the analysis of Big Data from a semiotic perspective. His research focuses on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods for social media analysis. Currently, he is studying, on Facebook, the two phenomena known as "filter bubble" and "echo chamber". In particular, he works on the data of the FBTREX group.

Discussants

Discussants are invited to take part in the Labs in order to share their experience with the presented democratic initiatives and try to bring broader perspectives to the following discussions.

Michael KLOS

Researcher and lecturer on freedom of speech on the internet, Leiden University

Netherlands

Michael Klos LLM BSc (1991) received his degrees in Public Administration (BSc) and Law (LLM) from Leiden University. Klos works as a researcher and lecturer at the Department of Jurisprudence at Leiden University where he is preparing a dissertation on the freedom of expression on the internet with a specific interest in the international dimension of social media regulation and accountability.

moderator

Letizia MAGNANI

Independent Journalist

San Marino

Letizia Magnani is an independent journalist. She is contributor of Quotidiano Nazionale, Grazia Italia and Salvagente. She was in South Africa when Mandela passed away, in Greece during the crisis, and in Spain in the last years. She wrote about migrants, social change, gender issues. She was for ten years Chief of the communication of Pio Manzù Center. She was the correspondent from San Marino for Adnkronos. She wrote several books about journalism and communication.

rapporteur