Session
Organizer 1: Mia McAllister, DOJ/FBI
Speaker 1: Mallory Knodel, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Katie Noyes, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Will Jones, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Thomas Gregory Motta , Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Mia McAllister, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Thomas Gregory Motta , Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Mia McAllister, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: A roundtable format is particularly well-suited for the session for several key reasons. Firstly, it promotes inclusive and interactive discussions among participants from diverse backgrounds, including policymakers, industry representatives, academics, governmental officials, and civil society organizations. This format allows for the exchange of diverse perspectives, insights, and experiences, enriching the dialogue and enhancing the depth of analysis. Secondly, the roundtable format fosters a collaborative atmosphere, where participants can actively engage with one another, share best practices, and collectively brainstorm solutions to complex challenges. This collaborative approach is essential for addressing the complex nature of the topic, which involves ethical, legal, and practical considerations. Thirdly, the roundtable format facilitates networking opportunities and relationship-building among participants, fostering ongoing collaboration beyond the session itself. By bringing together key stakeholders in a participatory and inclusive manner, the roundtable format maximizes the potential for generating actionable outcomes and advancing collective efforts.
1. How can governments and industry collaborate to ensure that technological innovations prioritize default privacy settings for users, particularly children, while maintaining the ability to target and remove harmful content? 2. What role should international cooperation play in addressing online child safety issues, considering the global nature of the internet and the varying regulatory frameworks across jurisdictions? 3. Is there any point at which a provider’s cybersecurity and privacy technical implementations should render provider’s legally responsible for the financial impact of the harms facilitated by their platforms if providers are unable to effectively enforce their own terms of service?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants attending the session on “Ensuring the online coexistence of human rights and child safety” will gain valuable insights into the complex interplay between technology, privacy rights, and efforts to protect children in the digital sphere. Through engaging discussions led by experts from diverse backgrounds, attendees will deepen their understanding of both the ethical, legal, technical, and practical challenges associated with reconciling these competing interests, and the interests and forces persistently demanding change in the status quo. They will have the opportunity to explore real-world case studies, examine current regulatory frameworks, and discuss innovative strategies and alternative restorative models for promoting online child safety while upholding fundamental privacy principles. By participating in this session, attendees will emerge equipped with actionable insights and practical recommendations to inform their advocacy efforts, policymaking endeavors, and organizational strategies in the field of internet governance and child protection.
Description:
The conversation surrounding online child safety in the United States has persisted for nearly three decades, with recent momentum driving proposals to establish standards for implementing provider-enforced safety measures. These measures aim to protect society's most vulnerable members, ensure platform accountability, and empower children with default safety and privacy protections. Critics, however, argue that the pursuit of child safety often undermines the imperative to safeguard individual privacy rights. This challenge is stalemated by the widespread adoption of end-to-end encryption technologies, which both self-blind industry and inhibit law enforcement agencies in detecting and addressing harmful content, such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This session seeks to examine the intricate balance between privacy concerns and online child safety measures, exploring ethical, legal, technical, and practical challenges. Additionally, Section 230 of the United States’ Communications Decency Act has significantly shaped the online child safety debate by granting broad immunity to internet platforms for user-generated content. While supporters argue this shield promotes unfettered on-line user dialogue and industry innovation, critics allege that it creates a powerful industry disincentive for implementing effective strategies to mitigate CSAM and other clearly harmful or illegal content. This session will explore whether a balance between these competing equities is achievable even with the promise, proferred by some in industry, of AI’s ability to discern harmful user content despite blinding impenetrable encryption.
The expected outcomes of this session are multifaceted. Firstly, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics between privacy rights and online child safety measures, enabling them to contribute more effectively to policymaking, advocacy, and organizational strategies in this area. Secondly, the session aims to provide a balanced dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, facilitating the exchange of insights, best practices, and innovative solutions. As a tangible outcome, participants will collaboratively develop an action plan outlining concrete steps and recommendations for promoting online child safety while upholding privacy rights. This action plan will serve as a roadmap for policymakers, industry stakeholders, civil society organizations, and other relevant actors to implement practical measures that enhance online safety for children in an ethically and legally sound manner.
Hybrid Format: We'll utilize video conferencing platforms (e.g. MS Teams, Zoom, etc.) that support seamless integration between onsite and remote participants, enabling real-time communication and collaboration. This will allow online attendees to engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to the conversation alongside their onsite counterparts. Additionally, we will designate a moderator or facilitator who will actively manage the flow of the session, ensuring that both onsite and online participants have equal opportunities to speak and be heard. We will also encourage the use of interactive live polling tools such as Slido, Mentimeter, etc. and chat features to foster engagement and participation from all attendees, regardless of their location. By employing these strategies, we aim to create a dynamic and inclusive environment where onsite and online speakers and attendees can actively engage with one another, share insights, and collaborate towards our common goal of promoting online child safety while respecting privacy rights.