IGF 2022 WS #53 The Force Awakens: social movements and digital rights

Organizer 1: Marina Meira, Data Privacy Brasil Research Association
Organizer 2: Jaqueline Pigatto, UNESP (Sao Paulo State University)
Organizer 3: GABRIELA VERGILI, Data Privacy Brasil Research Association
Organizer 4: Rafael Zanatta, Data Privacy Brasil Research Association

Speaker 1: Horrara Moreira da Silva, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Alexandre Costa Barbosa, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 3: Rafael Grohmann, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 4: Mauricio Roman, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Moderator

Marina Meira, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Online Moderator

Jaqueline Pigatto, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Rapporteur

GABRIELA VERGILI, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Format

Round Table - Circle - 60 Min

Policy Question(s)

How does the protection of personal data relate to the fights of other social movements, through techno-authoritarian measures that impact human rights?
How to have an active listening of those social movements and activists that helps in the construction of research on personal data protection?
What are the necessary measures for documentation and advocacy in international human rights bodies regarding activists’ surveillance and monitoring?

Connection with previous Messages: This proposal advances debates related to the following IGF 2021 messages:
“International organizations are invited to develop definitions and tools to help countries measure digital transformation and its societal impacts in an objective, effective and efficient manner.” -> Need for international tools and spaces to deal with human rights violations based on personal data.
“Agile regulatory frameworks – at the national, regional and, where possible, global levels – need to be put in place to outline rules, responsibilities and boundaries for how public and private actors behave in the digital space” -> Need for limits and responsibilities for state action on the use of information and communication technologies, especially on surveillance.
“To ensure that human rights are enforced and upheld in the digital space, a careful reflection is needed on how technology serves humanity, as opposed to simply putting in place safeguards around the edges and waiting until harms occur. States’ duty to prevent potential harm of human rights (e.g. through regulation and enforcement) needs to be complemented with (a) effective access to remedy when people are victims of human rights violation, and (b) responsibility on the part of relevant actors in integrating human rights due diligence and impact assessments throughout the entire life cycle of a technology.” -> Debate on what are the impacts of such violations, what measures can be taken after the damage and also as a prevention (impact assessments).
“Issues that were raised, but on which disagreement remains among stakeholders, include (a) the possibility of introducing a moratorium for certain human rights violating technologies that are not (yet) regulated adequately (e.g. facial recognition and biometric data collection and analysis), and (b) the potential development of a legally binding agreement on technology and human rights, which would build on existing frameworks (e.g. the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights).” -> Experiences and reports on how digital rights are human rights and need more robust approaches in the international system.

SDGs

16.10
16.3
16.6
16.8
16.a


Targets: Our workshop is directly related to objective 16.3 in fighting for equal access to justice for all, as well as objective 16.6 on developing transparency and accountability around processes that we identify as techno-authoritarianism, specifically, misuse of personal data and surveillance systems against social movements.

Description:

This workshop brings leaders of social movements that are being affected by abusive use of technology, especially monitoring and surveillance by governments. The main idea is to explore the potential of exchanging experiences between organizations working in the defense of personal data protection and other social movements and their agendas. In this way, the workshop is designed to listen to the leaders of social movements (10 minutes each), and then listen to the comments of academics and other experts in digital rights (10 minutes each), with a further 15 minutes of interaction between the audience and speakers. The record and results achieved will form part of a report to be developed next year aimed at international human rights mechanisms.

Expected Outcomes

Our expectation is that the exchange of experiences will enable more digital rights activists to engage with other social movements in the search for data justice. We would also intend to produce a report on Technoauthoritarianism and Social Movements, for articulation with the international human rights system, especially the UN Privacy Rapporteur, and collaboration with the Universal Periodic Review.

Hybrid Format: Our entity will have people in person, and the moderators will be able to mediate between the panelists and the public online and onsite. Let's start with speeches by those present onsite, providing time and technical adjustments to anyone who is online. Afterward, the online panelists will be able to make their speeches and remain following the debate, as well as during the Q&A mediated by the workshop's moderators. During the session, we also plan an interactive activity with everyone present from the public, where everyone can participate from a link available online and in person.

Online Participation



Usage of IGF Official Tool.