This conversation presented the Tech Accountability Criteria Set, developed by Whistle Stop Capital. These criteria were developed after review of 90+ frameworks, guidance documents, and protocols related to governance, human rights, and privacy along with conversations with over 50 experts in tech accountability and human rights issues.

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This conversation presented the Tech Accountability Criteria Set, developed by Whistle Stop Capital. These criteria were developed after review of 90+ frameworks, guidance documents, and protocols related to governance, human rights, and privacy along with conversations with over 50 experts in tech accountability and human rights issues.

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Panelists explored how responsible tech frameworks, ESG(+D) principles, and AI guardrails can be used as tools, alongside shifting incentives and other levers, in building a rights-respecting tech ecosystem. We discussed whether and how these tools can help, their limitations in the AI context, and what else is needed. We focused on the role philanthropy and civil society can play in advancing them.

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Panelists shared how institutional investors shape industries, the tools and data used to make investment decisions, and what’s needed to ensure investors consider human, environmental, and digital rights in investment decisions.

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Discussing scenarios to better understand the possible effects that LLMs might have on upcoming elections.

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The European Union is the first jurisdiction to advance regulation attempting to govern ethical and responsible development and use of artificial intelligence, which could have extraterritorial effects that support accountability strategies in other regions as well.

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A discussion about the White House’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, and the work at the intersection with civil rights and voting.

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A 101 on LLMs/GAI to help explain what this tech is, what it isn’t, what industry innovations we can anticipate the coming year and how it will affect the broader information ecosystem. They also addressed likely near-term capabilities of LLM and multi-modal systems and the implications for information ecosystems and democratic engagement. 

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Technology now impacts every dimension of our lives. Whether it’s work, healthcare, or education, our experiences are shaped and influenced by technology. While technology can improve autonomy for people with disabilities and help create a more inclusive society, it can also replicate or exacerbate historic discrimination that harms people with disabilities. As public interest advocates, scholars, technologists, and others continue work to advance equitable technology policy, it is crucial that disabled people participate in these conversations and the unique intersections of technology and disability are considered.

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Tech sector whistleblowers have played an increasingly vital role in exposing racism and toxic workplace environments, algorithmic bias, and other platform harms. But the cost of coming forward with information can be tremendous – including psychological, legal, and employment ramifications. This webinar explored what is needed to build and maintain safe and secure channels for tech whistleblowers to share platform harms with the public, and how civil society can support whistleblowers who boldly tell the truth.

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A discussion on how platform research to address mis/disinformation should be approached through a race-based lens, new platform research solutions and methods being pioneered and utilized by researchers of color, the unique challenges researchers of color face, and how philanthropy can better support and empower Black and Brown tech platform researchers to carry out their work.

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This discussion will explore the scope of US federal policy solutions available to mitigate the spread of mis/disinformation online. This will include a discussion of the viability of Section 230 reform and other proposed regulations and how the Biden Administration is approaching platform policy. This briefing will not only cover the scope of these issues, but also delve into the obstacles and potential solutions needed to achieve real reform.

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A discussion exploring the critical role that grassroots organizing and field-building must play in 2021 and beyond to address mis/disinformation with a particular focus on mobilizing communities of color. This webinar will explore how grassroots groups and communities of color can shape US federal policy and hold lawmakers accountable, the importance of grassroots pressure on tech companies to influence their behavior, which strategies have proven effective, and how philanthropy can better support organizing and capacity building for diverse grassroots groups and communities of color.

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In the wake of heightened online radicalization over the past several years, including the rise of far-right nationalism, violence, and harms to democracy globally, it is clear that technology platforms are playing an outsized role in amplifying racialized disinformation and fomenting real world consequences.

As lawmakers and civil society grapple with the policy and legal interventions available to protect communities and democratic practices, it is also important to understand the ways in which technology is stoking racialized disinformation. The insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the rise of white supremacist hate groups, the uptick in violence against Asian Americans, and the pervasiveness of anti-Black racism all underscore the urgency of addressing radicalized disinformation in the U.S.

This conversation will be dedicated to unpacking the factors behind the increase in racialized disinformation, the implications and role of technology, and the challenges that lie ahead.

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The academics, journalists, and activists working to understand the influence and impact of social platforms have pursued many avenues — and sometimes taken extraordinary risks — to obtain data about platform usage and effects. Even acknowledging the success of some novel methods to date, the social platform data available to researchers is often time-limited, siloed, or simply unavailable. Given the complexities of platform data access and usage, what can be done to advance high-quality research on and about social platforms?

On February 26, 2021, NetGain Partners hosted New Approaches to Platform Data Research, a webinar featuring Ethan Zuckerman of the Media Ecosystems Analysis Group and the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, who highlighted key findings from their report, New Approaches to Platform Data Research.

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In 2019, the NetGain Partnership commissioned research by Cedar Partners & Associates to identify the harms and constituencies involved in platform accountability efforts around the globe, with detailed examinations of specific regions including the European Union, Brazil, Kenya, South Africa, India, and Indonesia. Cedar Partners released its report, Platform Accountability, which includes more than 80 interviews with experts, officials, civil society groups and academics across six jurisdictions.

On Thursday, November 19, 2020, NetGain hosted Platform Harms and Accountability: Preparing Civil Society to Meet New Global Challenges. This virtual convening highlighted the key findings from Cedar Partners’ Platform Accountability report, bring a new lens to existing work, and helped put civil society in a stronger, better-informed position to respond to existing and future platform challenges.

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As face-to-face and public discussions from classrooms to business meetings have been forced to move online exclusively, the substantial increase in traffic is already straining the world’s internet infrastructure. What are the long-term implications of this surging demand? How will the design of the internet change to accommodate the video and other tech platforms that we will increasingly rely on? How will governments and companies manage the surge in traffic and what will it mean for internet shutdowns and censorship? How will this dynamic affect the next range of internet standards meetings which will be taking place virtually for the first time in three decades?

This webinar convened leading experts to understand the changing landscape for internet infrastructure and technology in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key issues included the responses of telecom providers and technology companies to the recent surge in traffic and the policy reforms and standards needed to adapt to the new demands of a digital society.

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The economic crisis caused by COVID-19 will further strengthen big tech’s hold over the economy and society, without intervention. Already, small businesses and retail outlets across the country are in a free fall as the result of social distancing measures, leaving Amazon to gain an even larger share of the marketplace. Meanwhile, local restaurants struggling to stay in business are now turning to online ordering and delivery apps, like Grubhub, that charge excessive fees and face little to no regulation. In addition, journalism and news outlets also face increasing financial difficulties as ad dollars and subscriptions both decrease, further diminishing revenues, and making them even more dependent upon Facebook, Google, and Apple to provide financial support for their content.

This webinar explored how the influence of big tech and digital platforms in the economy and our society is expanding in the wake of COVID-19, and what governments should do to preserve competition in our markets and protect the public interest in this moment of significant disruption.

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Information disorder surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, in combination with the proliferation of mis/disinformation around the protests against ongoing police brutality, including the murder of George Floyd, has created an unprecedented landscape of digital hate and racialized disinformation. Extremists have capitalized on COVID-19 uncertainty, leveraging white racial resentment about the economy, unemployment, public health, and an uncertain future to stoke chaos and violence. Hateful content and speech across the internet has further fueled xenophobia and racism targeting Asian, Black, and other vulnerable communities. Moreover, social media platforms from Facebook (Instagram, Whatsapp) and Twitter to Google and YouTube, face increased pressure to quickly respond to disinformation, fraud, and online hate. What is the state of protest and COVID-19 related information and news on social media? And what are the platform companies doing to combat racialized disinformation and other harms?

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COVID-19 has further exposed the major gaps in workplace protections and benefits for big tech’s contractors and employees. Amid the pandemic, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ wealth has grown by $24 billion, while frontline Amazon workers who have protested for protective equipment, hazard pay, and expanded sick leave have been fired in retaliation. Although the relief bill that was recently signed will provide short-term support for some workers at Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Instacart, and Amazon, many of these workers are not entitled to workers’ compensation, health care benefits, or sick pay.

This webinar explored the demand for workers protections during COVID-19, as well as the advocacy strategies that are being used – from walk-outs to the demand for the creation of employer generation hardship funds – as well as the long-term goal of permanent protections for workers.

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COVID-19 has exposed the susceptibility of our democratic processes to digital shortcomings, including increasing uncertainty around the ability to carry out free, fair, and safe elections in 2020 as well as the already present challenges of a high tech census. Across the country, advocates and campaigns are also facing a new reality as community education, outreach, and offline mobilization grinds to a halt, and organizations must rely on digital formats to carry out their work plans.

This webinar explored the ways in which our democratic institutions are being forced to adapt quickly to the new environment posed by COVID-19, including digital security threats and other concerns related to civil society moving to exclusively digital formats.

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As millions of homebound professionals, students, and more have become completely dependent on digital technologies to continue their lives and work, digital equity has never been more pressing. 141 million people in the US, nearly 43% of the population, don’t have home internet access at the FCC’s 25 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up broadband definition. While bridging the ‘digital divide’ is now imperative for remote work, education, and telehealth, the recent COVID-19 stimulus act did not address the need for internet access, raising the stakes for future relief bills.

This webinar explored these and other issues and how public interest organizations and advocates are seeking to immediately address the digital divide through campaigns, legislation, and future inclusion in stimulus bills.

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