Session
Organizer 1: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 3: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 4: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 3: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 4: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Isabel Linzer, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Tim Harper, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Kate Ruane, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Bhatia Aliya, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Tim Harper, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Kate Ruane, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Bhatia Aliya, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: The Roundtable format will allow for small group discussions that maximize attendee participation. A 60 minute session allows for the following structure: (I) Introduction (15 min): The moderator will open the session with a brief presentation about how political influencing relates to Digital Trust and Resilience, and share CDT’s research on the topic to provide context for the discussion. (II) Questions and feedback (10): Participants will begin the discussion portion by sharing reactions, feedback, and questions about the presentation. (III) Group discussions (25): Groups will break out into smaller discussions by table. They will (1) share how their work intersects with political influencing and problems they have encountered, (2) share success stories and best practices, and (3) brainstorm approaches to improving Digital Trust and Resilience related to political influencing. (IV) Solutions and looking ahead (10): Each table will share key takeaways and recommendations from their discussion with the broader group.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: The Roundtable format will allow for small group discussions that maximize attendee participation. A 60 minute session allows for the following structure: (I) Introduction (15 min): The moderator will open the session with a brief presentation about how political influencing relates to Digital Trust and Resilience, and share CDT’s research on the topic to provide context for the discussion. (II) Questions and feedback (10): Participants will begin the discussion portion by sharing reactions, feedback, and questions about the presentation. (III) Group discussions (25): Groups will break out into smaller discussions by table. They will (1) share how their work intersects with political influencing and problems they have encountered, (2) share success stories and best practices, and (3) brainstorm approaches to improving Digital Trust and Resilience related to political influencing. (IV) Solutions and looking ahead (10): Each table will share key takeaways and recommendations from their discussion with the broader group.
Policy Question(s)
1. In what ways are political influencers a departure from the media and information environment of the past, and in what ways are they not?
2. What rules, including government regulation and company policies, govern influencers, and what gaps remain? How can governments and companies address those gaps while respecting freedom of expression?
3. What actors in the industry bear legal responsibilities, and at what point in time? What do the incentive structures for accountability look like, and do we agree with them?
What will participants gain from attending this session? This session will bring expertise in an emerging area of work to the IGF and help the community learn about different policy approaches, potential best practices, and research findings, including related to monetization, political advertising disclosures, and free speech considerations. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how political influencers are changing the online landscape, related policy gaps, and ideas about how to approach these issues in their own work, across industries and countries. By holding this conversation in a global setting, participants will engage with a broader range of experiences and ideas, which are crucial for generating new approaches and solutions.
Description:
Political influencers are social media chameleons: sometimes they are journalists, sometimes activists, and other times they are political advertisers or campaign proxies. Sometimes they just… influence, without neatly fitting into any of those boxes. But the urgency to understand the role of political influencers will continue to grow with the rising importance of social media as a news source around the world. The prevalence of political influencers taps into tensions between freedom of expression and efforts to respond to mis- and disinformation during elections, combat foreign election interference, and govern political advertising and campaign finance. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is bringing its deep expertise in elections, free expression, and political advertising to new research aimed at understanding how political influencers fit into the online landscape, online platform policies, and the governance and regulatory environment in the US. This multistakeholder workshop will expand that inquiry globally, bringing policymakers, technology experts, the private sector, and social media users into this crucial conversation about how to build trust and resilience online. Participants will brainstorm how their experience relates to political influencers and identify differences in regulatory approaches, best practices, policy gaps, and potential solutions, as well as get a preview of forthcoming CDT research. Key topics include access to information, transparency, monetization policy, and trust & safety.
Political influencers are social media chameleons: sometimes they are journalists, sometimes activists, and other times they are political advertisers or campaign proxies. Sometimes they just… influence, without neatly fitting into any of those boxes. But the urgency to understand the role of political influencers will continue to grow with the rising importance of social media as a news source around the world. The prevalence of political influencers taps into tensions between freedom of expression and efforts to respond to mis- and disinformation during elections, combat foreign election interference, and govern political advertising and campaign finance. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is bringing its deep expertise in elections, free expression, and political advertising to new research aimed at understanding how political influencers fit into the online landscape, online platform policies, and the governance and regulatory environment in the US. This multistakeholder workshop will expand that inquiry globally, bringing policymakers, technology experts, the private sector, and social media users into this crucial conversation about how to build trust and resilience online. Participants will brainstorm how their experience relates to political influencers and identify differences in regulatory approaches, best practices, policy gaps, and potential solutions, as well as get a preview of forthcoming CDT research. Key topics include access to information, transparency, monetization policy, and trust & safety.
Expected Outcomes
The primary expected outcomes of this session are (1) improved understanding of how the growing trend of political influencing impacts human rights, information resilience, and government and technology company policy, and (2) new ideas for how governments and companies can address this trend in a rights-respecting way.
One short-term output is the integration of observations and findings from this session into CDT’s forthcoming publication on political influencers, with appropriate consent from participants as relevant. In the medium- to long-term, this session will be the starting place for future research and partnerships among global stakeholders engaging in work in this emerging area.
Hybrid Format: The format outlined above is a natural fit for a hybrid session. Remote participants can submit questions in the chat or raise their hand to speak during part II. For part III, the remote participants will be split into virtual breakout rooms, mirroring the smaller table discussions for in-person attendees. The breakout rooms will be invited to share their takeaways during part IV.