Session
Organizer 1: Batool Almarzouq, The Alan Turing Institute
Speaker 1: Batool Almarzouq, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Abdulateef Salwan, Intergovernmental Organization, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Anne Steele, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Ghaidaa Alshanqiti, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Ghaidaa Alshanqiti, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Abdulateef Salwan, Intergovernmental Organization, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Batool Almarzouq, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: Our session format, comprising different components such as talks, breakout rooms, and reporting sessions, is designed to enhance participant engagement and knowledge exchange. Each segment, requiring at least 15-20 minutes, ensures that participants have sufficient time to delve into discussions, absorb information, and share insights. This structure is particularly advantageous for hybrid events, where maintaining attention and interaction between on-site and remote participants is important. Our experience in organising hybrid events has informed this approach, allowing us to tailor the room layout and timing to build inclusive and accessible environment for all attendees.
Considering the disparities between developed and developing regions, what role should governments and international bodies play in formulating legislation that supports effective interoperability across international borders? In what ways should policy frameworks evolve to effectively address both the legal and commercial barriers to interoperability? What mechanisms can be implemented to promote fairness in digital marketplaces especially in the Arab region? What mechanisms can be developed to enable public-interest technologists, socialist software engineers, and other traditionally less powerful actors to effectively address the complexities of tech governance and become influential in movements that challenge the practices of major tech companies?
What will participants gain from attending this session? - Participants will learn what interoperability is and how it functions within technological and regulatory environments. They will also understand the different forms of interoperability, including: - Competitive Compatibility: Utilising methods such as reverse engineering to ensure compatibility without formal cooperation. - Cooperative Interoperability: Establishing formal agreements between entities to work compatibly. - Indifferent Interoperability: Conducting independent operations that incidentally maintain compatibility. - Attendees will gain new knowledge about the legislative and judicial history that has shaped the battle for interoperability, impacting technology competition and innovation. - Attendees will examine the social and commercial impact of interoperability in digital governance of the internet, especially on communities outside the Global North, with a specific focus on Arab countries
Description:
In recent years, the dominance of tech giants has raised concerns about the concentration of power in the digital sphere. However, historical precedents suggest that these monopolies can be effectively challenged through the strategic implementation of interoperability and extensibility. This workshop explores the nuanced landscape of interoperability, its taxonomies, and its potential to disrupt established market dynamics and empower new entrants, along with vulnerabilities. We will examine the effectiveness of different legislations such as the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) as a legislative effort to mandate interoperability between dominant tech services and emerging competitors, as well as the ACCESS Act in the United States and China's Cyberspace Regulation. We aim to explore the regulatory frameworks aimed at promoting competition and innovation. It will also look at the social impact of these legislations on users in the developing world, specifically Arabs. Additionally, the workshop will address the legal and contractual barriers that hinder interoperability initiatives, including one-sided contracts and intellectual property disputes. By elucidating diverse tactics—commercial, legal, technological, and social—participants will gain insights into building a more open and competitive digital ecosystem and better governance for the internet we want. Ultimately, the workshop advocates for a paradigm shift in the approach to tech regulation, emphasising the immediate benefits of interoperability in mitigating issues such as manipulation, surveillance, and price-gouging, with a focus on the Arab world. We will explore how communities and individuals can leverage interoperability and extensibility as we dismantle internet monopolies and build a more inclusive and innovative digital landscape.
- Policy Brief: The discussions from the session will be compiled into an international policy brief. It will particularly focus on the impacts these standards have on both developed and developing countries, covering a global perspective. - Chapter in The Turing Way: Insights from the session will be developed into a chapter for The Turing Way. This will provide a structured and accessible guide for researchers and practitioners on how to advocate for and implement interoperability practices effectively. The Turing Way, which is incubated at The Alan Turing Institute and funded by the UK Government’s strategic priority fund investment, aims to transform the culture of data science. Its five guides cover best practices reaching a significant audience with over 300 chapters written by more than 450 contributors from across all continents, incorporating perspectives from the third sector, industry, and academia.
Hybrid Format: We plan to hold an online meeting with all speakers one week prior to the event. Tools such as Slido and Google Doc will be used to encourage active participation from all attendees, regardless of their location. 1. Introduction (5 minutes): We will start with housekeeping rules to ensure all participants, especially online attendees, are comfortable with the settings. 2. Talk (20 minutes): Speakers will deliver a 20-minute talk to share their perspectives on the topic, providing a multi-stakeholder viewpoint. This will set the stage for deeper exploration of the policy questions. 3. Interactive Discussion (35 minutes): Breakout Sessions: Online participants will use Google Docs for note-taking, while in-person groups will engage in roundtable discussions. Reporting Back: In the last 20 minutes, all groups will report back to the larger room, sharing insights and conclusions from their discussions.