Session
Organizer 1: Ban Yukako, NetMission Asia
Organizer 2: Farhan Shahmi Abdullah, Netmission Asia
Organizer 3: Aviral Kaintura Aviral Kaintura, National Forensic Sciences University
Organizer 4: Songo Nore, NetMission.Asia
Organizer 5: Harisa Shahid, NetMission.Asia
Speaker 1: Charles Mok, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Melody Musoni, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Maryam Lee, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Farhan Shahmi Abdullah, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Ban Yukako, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Ban Yukako, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Classroom
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: Ensures the opportunity for speakers, who have been selected from diverse backgrounds, to share their expertise and insight into the topic in an engaging, discursive manner.
Allows for in-depth discussion between the speakers to create meaningful discourse on their perspectives, to ultimately provide a mutual ground for discussing critical solutions.
Allows for participants to interact with the speakers and raise important questions pertaining to elections, geopolitics, and the Global South.
How do global elections and regime changes influence digital policies in the Global South?
What strategies enable Global South countries to resist geopolitical pressures while combating election-related disinformation?
How can these countries use technological innovations to tackle electoral disinformation without violating rights like freedom of speech and privacy?
In what ways can regional and global digital governance frameworks collaborate to counteract cross-border disinformation campaigns during elections?
What are effective practices for monitoring disinformation trends and implementing rapid response mechanisms during election cycles in the Global South?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain a nuanced understanding of how geopolitics and emerging technologies intersect to impact election integrity and democratic processes in the Global South region.
Policy Frameworks:
Exposure to a range of policy approaches and frameworks that aim to combat disinformation while promoting innovation, human rights, and digital inclusion.
Collaborative Strategies:
Knowledge of how different stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, tech companies, and international organizations, can collaborate to address disinformation effectively.
Way Forward:
Gain insight into practicable solutions and policy considerations in navigating the execution of policies against elections-based misinformation, and the complex geopolitical implications a nation’s digital policy may entail.
Description:
In 2024, over 60 countries will hold elections, marking an unprecedented global electoral wave. This critical event focuses on the intersection of digital governance, cybersecurity, and geopolitics. The upcoming electoral processes will occur across a diverse range of countries, with many in the Global South, including South Africa, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Solomon Islands.
As the Global South's digital landscape is intertwined with its political diversity, these elections are increasingly influenced by information manipulation and cybersecurity threats. These threats are often facilitated by global digital platforms operated by Big Tech companies, creating a complex environment for electoral processes.
However, discussions about geopolitics and electoral interference must be carefully navigated. The focus should not be on speculative claims of other states meddling in electoral processes, as this lacks concrete evidence. Instead, our session will concentrate on the influence of Big Tech on shaping electoral outcomes. This approach allows us to address immediate risks and propose solutions grounded in the current digital landscape.
As IGF occurs after these elections, our session will reflect on the outcomes and share lessons learned. We'll discuss the impact on digital policy in the Global South, examine specific instances of disinformation campaigns, and explore strategies to improve future electoral processes. This re-framing creates a platform for discussing tangible experiences and the evolving nature of global digital governance.
How do global elections and regime change impact the digital policy directions of countries in the Global South?
How can countries in the Global South independently navigate the geopolitical pressures from major powers to combat election-related disinformation?
How can countries in the Global South leverage technological innovations to counter electoral disinformation without infringing on human rights such as freedom of speech and privacy?
How can regional and global digital governance frameworks collaborate to address cross-border disinformation campaigns affecting elections?
What are the best practices for monitoring disinformation trends and deploying rapid response mechanisms during election cycles in the diverse Global South?
Hybrid Format: - On-line (collect questions) and on-site facilitator (facilitate questions and moderate)
- Real-time video teleconferencing
- Virtual whiteboard/chat forum/polling platform to encourage active engagement
- Quick icebreaker–asking participants which country they are from online and offline