In today’s ever-evolving media landscape, the concept of internet freedom has become increasingly critical, resonating deeply with the core values and mission of Internews. With recent legal advancements shaping privacy and data protection worldwide or the ongoing debates surrounding online content moderation, the need to defend and promote a free and open internet has never been more urgent.
As an organization committed to empower local communities through access to reliable information and safeguarding the rights of individuals to freely express themselves online, Internews is deeply invested in internet freedom and digital rights programming.
We are thrilled to announce that a dedicated delegation of Internews staff will be attending the highly anticipated RightsCon conference in San José, Costa Rica, on June 5-8, 2023. Not only will our team be actively participating, but we are also very proud to host and co-host several thought-provoking sessions throughout the event, both in-person and online.
As champions of access to information and defenders of digital liberties, our sessions will delve into pressing topics such as online censorship, harnessing AI for human rights, teaching digital security through virtual reality, and more. We are eager to listen and learn, share our expertise, engage in meaningful conversations, and collaborate with like-minded individuals and organizations who are equally passionate about upholding human rights in the digital realm.
Below are some sessions on our radar and where you can expect to see us.
Tuesday, June 6th
- Online; roundtable
- Tuesday, June 6th, 7.45am
Is it output or outcome? Measuring the impact of internet freedom work
- In person; dialogue
- Tuesday, June 6th, 9am – Room: Guanacaste 2
Action beyond moderation: applying monitoring methods to journalism and activism
- In person; dialogue
- Tuesday, June 6th, 11.30am – Room: Guanacaste 2
Rise of the good machines: harnessing AI to protect human rights and democracy
- Online; workshop
- Tuesday, June 6th, 11.30am
- In person; workshop
- Tuesday, June 6th, 2pm – Room: Tortuga
Internet shutdowns in Central Asia: challenges and perspectives
- Hybrid; roundtable
- Tuesday, June 6th, 3.15pm – Room: Libélula
Too small to count, too big to ignore: scrutinizing tech companies in the Majority World
- In person; dialogue
- Tuesday, June 6th, 4.30pm – Room: Guanacaste 2
Wednesday, June 7th
- In person; roundtable
- Wednesday, June 7th, 9am – Room: Limon
English in, gibberish out: mistranslation as social media’s de facto policy for the Global Majority
- In person; workshop
- Wednesday, June 7th, 10.15am – Room: Tucan
- Online; roundtable
- Wednesday, June 7th, 10.15am
Trusted partner programs: how can we make them work for partners?
- In person; roundtable
- Wednesday, June 7th, 11.30am – Room: Limon
Do zombies have human rights? A discussion about identity, the body, and the self
- Online; roundtable
- Wednesday, June 7th, 11.30am
Combatting cross-cultural security nihilism
- In person; workshop
- Wednesday, June 7th, 3.15pm – Room: Central 3
Cybersecurity capacity-building for individuals and organizations
- Online; tech demo
- Wednesday, June 7th, 3.30pm
Election watch: disinformation and data collection at the polls
- In person; tech demo
- Wednesday, June 7th, 4.30pm – Room: Colibri
The devil’s in the details: adversarial design in action
- In person; workshop
- Wednesday, June 7th, 4.30pm – Room: Tortuga
Thursday, June 8th
Satellite phones during shutdowns that don’t involve M*sk
- Hybrid; roundtable
- Thursday, June 8th, 11.30am – Room: Libélula
Shutting down the shutdown: mainstreaming proactive civil society responses to internet disruptions
- In person; workshop
- Thursday, June 8th, 2pm – Room: Central 3