Session
Organizer 1: Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Melinda Claybaugh, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Mallory Knodel, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Chris Riley, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Mallory Knodel, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Chris Riley, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: We have a moderator and five expert discussants so in order to leave time for participant questions we need to have at least one hour. The format is a roundtable because of the somewhat technical nature of the topic-- first we will establish a baseline understanding of interoperability and its intersection with end user privacy, and then we will move into the higher ordered policy questions as a larger group.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: We have a moderator and five expert discussants so in order to leave time for participant questions we need to have at least one hour. The format is a roundtable because of the somewhat technical nature of the topic-- first we will establish a baseline understanding of interoperability and its intersection with end user privacy, and then we will move into the higher ordered policy questions as a larger group.
Policy Question(s)
How can interoperable systems respect user privacy and give users control over their data?
What challenges does Global Data Protection Regulation compliance present to decentralized platforms, and how can fediverse platforms and instances better align with privacy laws in general?
What are the opportunities to influence the Digital Markets Act to define and enforce interoperability requirements for existing social media platform gatekeepers?
What will participants gain from attending this session? By the end of the workshop, participants will have co-developed a set of draft recommendations for new models or technical solutions to enhance privacy protections within interoperable systems. These recommendations could include data privacy standards for federated systems, privacy-enhancing tools for users, or suggestions for the future governance of interoperability protocols.
Description:
As online experiences become more fractured and dispersed, interoperability across services is an important mechanism for bridging gaps and ensuring that people can find and build communities. But interoperability creates complexity, particularly for privacy. As people communicate across different services, they may encounter different policies, standards, norms, and accountability mechanisms, all of which can create confusion and even risk for people. We need to ensure shared principles, norms, rules, and procedures for interoperable systems that center user privacy. This workshop will use the “fediverse” as an example of how an interoperable system can approach these privacy challenges. The fediverse is the name used to refer to the growing decentralized network of interconnected social media platforms using the open standard ActivityPub. The number of federated services continues to grow into the dozens, with tens of millions of users embracing the open, federated social web. Experts in ActivityPub, the fediverse, and interoperable systems will lead a group discussion on how we can build, extend and innovate digital platforms and emerging technologies in the social space with responsibility and respect for privacy. Together the group will help develop new models and tools for enhancing interoperability while protecting user data.
As online experiences become more fractured and dispersed, interoperability across services is an important mechanism for bridging gaps and ensuring that people can find and build communities. But interoperability creates complexity, particularly for privacy. As people communicate across different services, they may encounter different policies, standards, norms, and accountability mechanisms, all of which can create confusion and even risk for people. We need to ensure shared principles, norms, rules, and procedures for interoperable systems that center user privacy. This workshop will use the “fediverse” as an example of how an interoperable system can approach these privacy challenges. The fediverse is the name used to refer to the growing decentralized network of interconnected social media platforms using the open standard ActivityPub. The number of federated services continues to grow into the dozens, with tens of millions of users embracing the open, federated social web. Experts in ActivityPub, the fediverse, and interoperable systems will lead a group discussion on how we can build, extend and innovate digital platforms and emerging technologies in the social space with responsibility and respect for privacy. Together the group will help develop new models and tools for enhancing interoperability while protecting user data.
Expected Outcomes
The session report will result in a draft recommendations document for aligning interoperable systems and privacy protections.
Hybrid Format: We anticipate that speakers will be onsite and online, so we will ensure interaction between onsite and online attendees by requesting all questions throughout the session be submitted through the virtual platform chat function, where we will also maintain the microphone queue. These will be relayed to online and onsite speakers and attendees on a microphone if made in person, through the remote moderator, or directly in the virtual platform. The design of the session will ensure the best possible experience for online and onsite participants as it will build in time for questions and input by participants. We will also set aside the final 20 minutes for questions. We intend to monitor the chat function throughout the session. The onsite and remote moderators will coordinate in a direct channel and they will play an active role by encouraging questions on specific themes and posing questions directly to the panelists.