Online Conference ‘Countering Online Disinformation and Hate Speech to Foster Peace’
When: Tuesday 21 September, 2021
Time: 10:00 – 16:30 CET // 4:00 – 10:30 AM ET
Contact: Adeline Hulin, a.hulin@unesco.org
What is the role played by social media in promoting peace and enhancing access to information?
How to prevent social media being used to polarize society, amplify disinformation, increase intolerance or fuel hate and conflicts?
How to ensure the respect for freedom of expression while curbing potential online harmful content?
Those are some of the questions to be discussed on 21 September at an online conference organized by UNESCO Brussels Office and with support of the European Union for the international day of Peace and ahead of the Universal Access to Information Day.
Panel Session 3 – Contextualization of online harmful content to foster peace (15:15 – 16:15 CET)
- Anna Herold, Head of Unit, Media Pluralism, DG Connect European Commission
- Julie Owono, Board member of Facebook oversight board, Director-General of Internet without Borders
- Pierre François Docquir, Head of the Media Freedom Programme, Article 19
- Iverna McGowan, Director of Europe Office, Center for Democracy and Technology
- Representative of Oxford Internet Institute, Monitoring of online hate speech project
- Andrew Puddephatt, Internet Policy Expert and Author
The moderation and curation rules of online, potentially harmful content are mostly discussed at the global level in a “one size fits all” fashion. Yet, the complexity of addressing online, potentially harmful content lies in the impossibility to define precisely the boundaries of the type of content covered irrespective of the context. This is why, in addition to using human rights principles as a universal baseline, take into account social, cultural, and linguistic nuances it seems necessary to develop and review content moderation and curation rules and tools in a localized manner. Speakers of this last session will address the contextualization of online harmful content by sharing local experiences and exploring how to best curb online harmful content while protecting freedom of expression and enhancing the promotion of peace.