RightsCon presents a chance to discuss Good Policy Practices and the ID Principles
The Industry Dialogue recently spent three days in San Francisco speaking about its Legal Frameworks Resource and ways in which companies are implementing its Guiding Principles. ID members served as panelists and engaged with stakeholders from around the world at RightsCon, a digital rights conference held from March 30 – April 1, 2016.
The Industry Dialogue hosted a panel entitled Good Policy Practices in Online Freedom, which complemented its similar panel at the Freedom Online Conference in Mongolia and highlighted the ID’s Legal Frameworks Resource. The panel was moderated by ID Chair Jeff Dygert of AT&T and featured Yves Nissim of Orange, the newly-appointed Assistant Director-General of Communication and Information at UNESCO, Frank La Rue, Peter Micek of Access, and Gigi Alford of the United States Department of State.
ID Chair Jeff Dygert highlights importance of effective oversight of surveillance & need for govt transparency #privacy #RightsCon
— TelcoIndustryDialog (@IndustryDialog) March 31, 2016
Panelists emphasized that government communications surveillance programs should be subject to effective oversight mechanisms and that policies should be developed in a transparent manner, including a range of stakeholders.
.@FLarue_libex says oversight by all branches of govt ensures that surveillance does not undermine democracy #RightsCon
— TelcoIndustryDialog (@IndustryDialog) March 31, 2016
Panelists also cited positive examples of telecommunications companies engaging with other stakeholders to push back against government actions that threatened freedom of expression, and they reflected on how the Freedom Online Coalition and intergovernmental organizations can promote laws and policies that protect the rights to freedom of expression and privacy.
.@YNissim: sometimes when telcos work w civil society & others, govts step back from demands that impact #netfreedom & #privacy #RightsCon
— TelcoIndustryDialog (@IndustryDialog) March 31, 2016
Yves Nissim also spoke on a GNI-Industry Dialogue panel dedicated to extremist content online, as well as a panel on remedy in the ICT sector. Facilitator Lisl Brunner spoke on panels exploring the ID’s implementation of its Principles in India, Malaysia, and Pakistan and the Manila Principles on Intermediary Liability.
.@YNissim says you can’t approach terrorist content in the same way as child abuse images: which content is terrorist? @theGNI #RightsCon
— TelcoIndustryDialog (@IndustryDialog) March 31, 2016
The conference presented ID members with the opportunity to meet with UN Special Rapporteur for the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye. Professor Kaye informed stakeholders about his recent visit to Tajikistan and provided an overview of his project examining freedom of expression and the private sector. ID members also discussed the challenges facing telecommunications companies when governments order service shutdowns.
In 2017, RightsCon will be held in Brussels, presenting an opportunity for the Industry Dialogue to continue these conversations with European Union institutions and experts.
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