Forum sur l'Information et la Démocratie

🌍 On #InternationalDayforUniversalAccessToInformation, the International Observatory on Information and Democracy, alongside 154 academic signatories from 41 countries, are urging governments to create a framework that ensures safe, independent and accessible research into the manifestations and impact of disinformation on democracy. In a year with 70+ major elections, with the recent shutdown of #CrowdTangle, a vital tool to track mis- and disinformation, and in a climate of growing pressure and threats against researchers exploring online disinformation, it is more crucial than ever to ensure that researchers can continue their work safely, independently, and without barriers across the globe. This collective call already features in English in Tech Policy Press, in French in La Tribune, in Italian in Domani and in Portuguese in Público and in Tunisian media Madha Yahduth ماذا يحدث 🇺🇸 https://bit.ly/4gTaSLU 🇫🇷 https://bit.ly/3ZMWYVz 🇮🇹 https://bit.ly/3XJ3ARZ 🇵🇹 http://bit.ly/4eL4ggJ 🇹🇳 https://bit.ly/47LzphC From Jun Murai Robin Mansell Jeanette Hofmann Terry Flew Sonia Livingstone Anna Marchese Courtney Radsch, PhD Pier Luigi Parcu Gustavo Cardoso gerald bronner Natalia Zuazo Sally Broughton Micova Asma MHALLA Elodie Vialle Sonja Solomun Dr Silvia Semenzin Anastasia Stasenko Dhanaraj Thakur Stefaan Verhulst, PhD, Sharon Strover Paula Gori José Luis Benítez Claire Wardle Minna Aslama Horowitz Jhalak Kakkar Damian Tambini Rose Marie Santini Emma Briant Claes de Vreese Anselm Küsters Dr Julia Ebner Matthias C. Kettemann Poncelet Ileleji David Chavalarias and many more... ...the global research community is united to call for effective protection and support for research on information integrity. 🔎 To see the full list of signatories https://bit.ly/3XLTv73 #ResearchIntegrity #Information #Democracy

🌍 Save the Date! Global launch of the Observatory's first report on 15th January! 🗓️ The International Observatory on Information and Democracy is thrilled to announce the launch of its inaugural meta-research report “Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: A Global Synthesis of the State of Knowledge on News Media, AI, and Data Governance.” 📅 Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025   🕒 Time: 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM CET   💻 Where: Online - Registration https://lnkd.in/gnCtfK-H This critical report represents the culmination of 1.5 years of dedicated work, leveraging insights from over 3,000 sources and contributions from 60 international experts. It delves into the pressing issue of mis- and disinformation through three pivotal themes:  1️⃣ Media, Politics, and Trust   2️⃣ Artificial Intelligence and Information Ecosystems   3️⃣ Data Governance and Democracy  Join us for this important event and spread the word! Please register through this link: https://lnkd.in/gnCtfK-H

🇧🇷 Brazil’s Senate approved the draft law to regulate artificial intelligence, an important milestone to set democratic rules on AI. Some thoughts on the law from our Policy Manager, Katharina Zügel: - The draft law takes a risk based approach, as the EU AI Act, but also a rights-based approach providing citizens with the right to privacy, right to know about interacting with an AI system and a right to human review, among others. - It sets a precedent on copyright providing for a right for remuneration for copyrighted material used by commercial AI systems - we will watch closely what this could mean for media sustainability. - Generative AI systems need to be evaluated against their risk for information integrity, a first at the global level. However, while social media algorithms were initially considered high-risk AI systems and information integrity was recognized as a risk, the adopted version excludes these elements. We regret that the opposition in the Senate has weakened the text in this regard. The Chamber of Deputies will now finalise the text. They could take inspiration from the Forum’s latest policy report providing detailed recommendations on AI regulation: https://lnkd.in/e-zpKizZ For more information on the law 👇

💡 New issue of the Insights Series “Unpacking Current Developments in the Information Space” Elaborated in collaboration with DataLEADS India we delve into “Deepfakes during elections: the case of India”, 6 months after the national elections. https://lnkd.in/eqshNSMK In this super election year, how has AI transformed elections? Get some insights from the Indian case, marked on the one hand by deepfakes to influence voting behaviour and on the other hand civil society activism to debunk them. Interestingly, the cultural and linguistic diversity of India also impacted the prevalence of deepfakes. 👉 Stay tuned for future issues of our Insight Series. Syed Nazakat

📣 The Forum, alongside 50 NGOs and researchers, urges the European Commission to prioritize the public interest in shaping data access provisions as part of the ongoing consultation on the Delegated Regulation provided for in the Digital Services Act (DSA). This unique regulation provides for vetted researcher access to data from very large online platforms and search engines. It should:  - recognise that it sets a global precedent for data access - enable researchers worldwide to access data and study systemic risks within the Union - ensure that the researchers’ interests are appropriately taken into account in the data access request procedures - provide for access to conduct controlled experiments, including A/B testing, to properly study systemic risks. Explore our full contribution and see the complete list of signatories. This regulation can help to tackle the current power imbalances! EU Digital & Tech Research ICT Africa Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) IT for Change DSA Observatory DSA 40 Data Access Collaboratory Africa Freedom of Information Centre Defend Democracy CyberPeace Institute Digital Grassroots Samir Kassir Foundation Marta Cantero Gamito Robin Mansell Natali Helberger Christopher Bail Jeanette Hofmann Sonja Solomun Pier Luigi Parcu Flavia Durach, PhD & many more!

📢 The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media partners with the Forum to develop actionable policy guidance for the 57 OSCE participating States on Media & Big Tech. With this new project, we hope to provide concrete solutions to: - strengthen sustainability of media organizations in the age of platformization and AI - foster access to reliable public interest information - ensure safety and protection of journalists and media organizations An international and diverse Steering Committee is guiding our work, co-chaired by Anya Schiffrin and Natali Helberger! They held their inaugural meeting today, 2 December and will convene a number of expert tables to collectively assess the challenges and develop solutions. Stay tuned for the policy recommendations to be presented in Spring 2025. https://lnkd.in/eVmyjhKm Amy Brouillette Damian Tambini Helle Sjøvaag Mira Milosevic Begaim Usenova Julia Haas Iva Nenadic Max van Drunen Bojana Jankova

The Forum, Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and more than 20 of its members and partners are calling upon the member States of the OECD - OCDE to strengthen the forthcoming Recommendation on Information Integrity. While this initiative to adopt an international instrument to safeguard information integrity and hold online platforms to account is welcomed, it could be strengthened to set the highest democratic standards. To do so, we call upon OECD States to ensure that the Recommendation: - underlines that any framework for information integrity must be compliant with international human rights laws and obligations - that access to platforms data is available to public interest actors, free of charge and according to fair and transparent criteria - enshrines a principle of neutrality for platforms - enshrines human rights respecting business models and advertising models - encourages plurality of information sources by unbundling of content hosting and content curation, algorithmic pluralism, fair compensation and due prominence of public interest media - ensures multistakeholder governance and meaningful participation of civil society actors, journalists, and other concerned communities in the governance of information integrity Read our detailed comments on the draft Recommendation. OECD Public Governance Craig Matasick Africa Freedom of Information Centre Aláfia Lab Agência Pública Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) CyberPeace Institute DW Akademie Derechos Digitales Fondation Hirondelle Fundación Gabo Impress IT for Change Maharat Foundation OBSERVACOM Samir Kassir Foundation CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation Free Press Unlimited Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

We are very proud to partner with the OSCE on this very important issue. Please make sure you send us your ideas on how to resolve the dependencies between tech companies and the media. More below.

Big tech is changing our media landscape and access to information. Do you have ideas on how to ensure access to quality public interest information in the age of social media and reduce media dependencies on big tech? Contribute to a new project on Media and Big Tech by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the Forum for Information and Democracy that aims to develop actionable policy guidance for the 57 OSCE participating States. 📣 Participate in our call for contributions until 30 November, share insights and papers on: - Business models, fair compensation and sustainability approaches outside the current platform-driven infrastructure - Increasing the visibility of quality journalism online: labeling, trust indicators, and media privileges - Policy measures to tackle existing dependencies and promoting a healthy online information ecosystem, including by ensuring journalistic protections Find out more about the call for contributions: https://lnkd.in/ex7kFkgC Stay tuned for more information on this project, including its Steering Group members! Anya Schiffrin Natali Helberger Julia Haas Katharina Zügel

🗓 Join us at Sciences Po Paris on 12 November 2024 to learn more and explore the possibility of creating a voluntary certification mechanism for public interest AI. On the occasion of the Paris Peace Forum and in the run up to the AI Action Summit, we are organizing a workshop to consult a group of experts on the idea to build a voluntary certification mechanism for Public Interest AI: https://lnkd.in/eUQBnXMS Inspired by the Fairtrade International movement, our solution would provide for an incentive scheme to build and use ethical AI systems. It aims to create a comparative advantage for public interest AI and foster consumer awareness and demand for ethical products. The workshop will take place from 1:30pm to 2:30pm on 12 November at 27 rue Saint-Guillaume, Paris. Looking forward to seeing you there! Register here 👇