Since its very early days, the internet has been an unparalleled tool both for democracy and repression. As the pace of digitalization accelerates, work, education, healthcare, civic engagement, and more is increasingly online. Yet, half of humanity remains unconnected, falling further behind just by staying where they are; still more people live in countries without the policy frameworks needed to protect their rights online; and the spread of digital authoritarianism marches ever forward. As many of the world’s governments come together at the Summit for Democracy to renew and recommit to actions to defend democracy, this panel will explore where the “original vision” of the internet has gone awry, articulate areas of focus for the Year of Action coming out of the Summit, and leave the audience with practical recommendations for strengthening democracy and human rights online.
Speakers
More to be announced!
Partners
360/StratCom is DFRLab’s annual, premier government-to-government forum focused on working with allies and partners to align free and open societies in an era of contested information.
The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) has operationalized the study of disinformation by exposing falsehoods and fake news, documenting human rights abuses, and building digital resilience worldwide.