IGF 2024 Networking Session #156 Fediverse Futures: Scalability and Positive Social Impact

    Web Technology Study Center (Ceweb.br)
    - Diogo Cortiz, CEWEB, Technical community, GRULAC
    - Henrique Xavier, NIC.br, Technical community, GRULAC
    - Reinaldo Ferraz, CEWEB, Technical community, GRULAC
    - Ana Duarte, NIC.br, Technical community, GRULAC

    Speakers

    - Henrique Xavier, NIC.br, Technical community, GRULAC
    - Daniel Couto, PUC-SP, Technical community, GRULAC

    Onsite Moderator

    Diogo Cortiz

    Online Moderator

    Reinaldo Ferraz

    Rapporteur

    Ana Duarte

    SDGs

    5. Gender Equality
    16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    17. Partnerships for the Goals


    Targets: The networking session will explore strategies and governance models to foster inclusivity, gender equality, and non-discrimination on the Fediverse, in alignment with SDGs 5.1, 5.b, 16.1, and 16.b. Additionally, the session will discuss various practices and technical designs to uphold the Fediverse's role as a safe and positive space for social interaction, correlating with SDGs 16.6 and 16.10. Furthermore, we will deliberate on methods to prevent the concentration of Fediverse control within a few global North corporations, as outlined in SDGs 17.7 and 17.8.

    Format

    Roundtable

    The session will be divided into two parts. Firstly, one of the speakers will introduce the Fediverse to the audience and pose the following questions:

    1. How can the Fediverse achieve scalability and sustainable financing? If supported by the commercial private sector, what potential business models could it adopt?
    2. How do we ensure the Fediverse has a positive social impact? What technical and governance features are necessary to minimize disinformation, hate speech, and censorship, while prioritizing the well-being of users and communities?

    This presentation will serve as a stimulus for the second part, during which invited speakers and onsite and online participants will share their perspectives and debate the proposed questions. Finally, the moderator will summarize the discussion, highlighting both areas of consensus and disagreement that emerged."

    Duration (minutes)
    60
    Description

    The Fediverse comprises independently-governed social media networks, primarily built with free and open-source software. It allows users from one network to interact with those from another. Positioned as a novel application on the internet, it purportedly holds the potential to strengthen connections between individuals, mitigate vendor lock-in, safeguard user privacy and data, foster a safer and healthier online environment, and deter censorship.

    While these attributes are currently evident across many network instances, the technology of the Fediverse itself may not inherently guarantee their prevalence in all instances or across the Fediverse at large, particularly as it potentially achieves widespread adoption. This networking session aims to delve into the technical and governance measures necessary to ensure that the aforementioned desirable properties remain prominent in the future trajectory of the Fediverse.

    We will employ video conferencing tools to enable full participation for online attendees during the networking session. An online moderator will oversee online participation, while the organizing team will manage the queue effectively, ensuring both onsite and online participants have the opportunity to contribute in turn. The online moderator will read aloud any questions posted in the chat, maintaining a consistent dynamic throughout the session.