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Christchurch Call: How New Zealand's response shaped a global movement
During a Global Stage livestream conversation hosted by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed that when she reached for her phone to share the heartbreaking news of the Christchurch massacre, she found a horrifying surprise: A livestream of the massacre served to her on a social media platform.
For a period of 24 hours, copies of the footage were uploaded to YouTube as often as once per second, spreading the 17-minute massacre faster than tech companies could shut it down.
The experience drives her work at the Christchurch Call, combating online extremism and working with government and civil society to build guardrails against the exploitation of technology by extremists, , she explained during a Global Stage livestream conversation hosted by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Watch the full Global Stage Livestream conversation here: Hearing the Christchurch Call
Future-proofing the internet from radicalization & extremist content
The Christchurch Call to Action, a political summit initiated by New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, gathered during the UN’s General Assembly to renew its commitment to creating a safer digital world.
The Summit was formed in 2019 following a massive terror attack in Christchurch that left 51 dead and dozens wounded. The terrorist used social media to livestream the murderous rampage for several minutes, and the video was viewed by thousands before it was removed from the internet.
In an interview with GZERO Media, Paul Ash, PM Ardern’s Special Representative on Cyber and Digital, detailed the key issues discussed in the meeting. “The first, how do we respond to crises and keep people safe when the internet is abused by terrorists and violent extremists? Second, how do we think about prevention? Ash continued, “The third thing we looked at in our summit meeting was the question of how the Christchurch Call can remain current. How do we future-proof it as the internet changes into a more immersive environment?”
The Summit is aimed at combatting extremism and hate online, and, in particular, gender-based hatred and harassment and attacks on the LGBTQI communities.
Ash told GZERO that to ensure a free, open, and safe Internet of the future the Summit leaders also need to focus on emerging technologies that may create larger risks for people and societies.
“We've got our work cut out, as we think about the next eight years, to ensure that we build safety into that model, that we protect against cybersecurity attacks, and that we put people and citizens first in that process,” Ash said.
Make internet affordable, but not free for all
Robinson weighed in during a Global Stage livestream conversation hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft during the 76th UN General Assembly.
Learn more: Should internet be free for everyone? A Global Stage debate
We'll never fix America's internet without measuring access properly, says FCC chair
Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chair of the US Federal Communications Commission, says mapping the real state of America's broadband access is flawed because a single subscriber in a rural area doesn't mean everyone is online. "You don't have to be a data maven to understand that that likely overstates service," she notes, and underscores the need to develop more accurate systems. "We're never going to manage the problems we don't measure."
Rosenworcel weighed in during a Global Stage livestream conversation hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft during the 76th UN General Assembly.
Learn more: Should internet be free for everyone? A Global Stage debate
Should internet be free for everyone? A Global Stage debate
Half of the world's population is currently offline, and COVID has further widened the digital gap. Providing more than three billion people with affordable, reliable internet access sounds like a no-brainer, but the devil is in the details. Who'll pay for it, how do we measure success, who should be on board, and what are the potential benefits?
Several experts weighed in during a Global Stage virtual conversation hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft during the 76th UN General Assembly, moderated by the UN's Melissa Fleming.Don't miss our next event: LIVE on Wednesday Oct 13 11am ET/ 8 am PT:
Vickie Robinson, head of Microsoft's Airband Initiative to expand broadband access throughout the developing world, what's really important is for the internet to be accessible, not necessarily free. The problem, she explained, is that it costs money to build and maintain networks, so no costs for end users could have unintended consequences. Instead, Robinson would focus only on giving access to people who really need it and can't afford to be online.
Make Internet Affordable, but Not Free for All | Global Stage | GZERO Mediayoutu.be
Even developed countries have their own problems getting everyone online. Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chair of the US Federal Communications Commission, said that mapping the real state of America's broadband access is currently flawed because a single subscriber in a rural area doesn't mean everyone is online. Until the US comes up with a better way to show who actually has internet access and who doesn't, the problem will likely never be fixed.
We'll Never Fix America's Internet Without Measuring Access Properly, Says FCC Chair | Global Stageyoutu.be
Then there's another important question: whose responsibility should it be to bridge the "digital Grand Canyon" of exclusion, asthe UN refers to the digital divide? For the International Communications Union's Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the only way is to get all concerned parties — the UN, governments, international institutions, the private sector, and civil society — to work together.
How can we bridge the "digital Grand Canyon"? | Global Stage | GZERO Mediayoutu.be
If everyone who needs access to the internet gets it, the world's least-connected continent — Africa — could benefit tremendously. Eurasia Group's top Africa analyst Amaka Anku explained that getting all Africans online could spur economic growth by formalizing the informal sector, which is very large and hard to tax, as long as African governments help out by cutting red tape for investment.
Want Africa to Grow? Get People and Businesses Online: Africa Expert | Global Stage | GZERO Mediayoutu.be
Stay informed about further Global Stage discussions: sign up for updates and reminders about GZERO Media's events.
- Panel: Why access to broadband & digital skills is critical - GZERO ... ›
- Global Stage virtual events return this fall - GZERO Media ›
- Beyond SolarWinds: Securing Cyberspace - GZERO Media ›
- GDP should reflect cost of polluting planet, says Microsoft's John Frank - GZERO Media ›
- COP26 vibes so far: "What's it worth to save everything we have?" - GZERO Media ›
- Global Stage virtual events return this fall - GZERO Media ›
- Join us April 21 for our next Global Stage event live from Washington DC - GZERO Media ›
- Want global equality? Get more people online - GZERO Media ›
- Join us April 21 for our next Global Stage event live from Washington DC - GZERO Media ›
- How to get students back on track after the Great Education Disruption - GZERO Media ›
- Join us for our Global Stage event live from Washington DC - GZERO Media ›
- Global Stage: Global issues at the intersection of technology, politics, and society - GZERO Media ›
Watch our discussion to decide: should internet access be free?
Access to the internet is a universal right.
Broadband should be free.
Tech companies should foot the bill.
Discuss.
GZERO Media and Microsoft will convene proponents, skeptics, and fence-sitters to debate whether the internet should be free on the next Global Stage event.
Make up your mind in our event September 15th at 11am ET/8am PT.
- Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary General (moderator)
- Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chairwoman, Federal Communications Commission
- Vuyani Jarana, Chairman, Mobax Group
- Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
- Vickie Robinson, General Manager, Microsoft Airband Initiative
- Amaka Anku, Practice Head, Africa, Eurasia Group
Special appearance by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
Should internet access be free for everyone? \n\nWe'll discuss live on 9/15\n\nMore info: https://www.gzeromedia.com/global-stage/virtual-events/global-stage-virtual-events-return-this-fall\u00a0\u2026\n\n#GlobalStage\n@MSFTIssues @VSRob29 @AmakaAnku @Vuyanij @JRosenworcel @antonioguterres— GZERO Media (@GZERO Media) 1630945580
Cuba internet censorship amid protests; pressure grows against Huawei
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
Cuba has curbed access to messaging apps amid protests. How controlled and censored is Cuba's internet?
Well, any debate and criticism is tightly controlled in Cuba, including through information, monitoring and monopoly. But activists such as blogger Yoani Sánchez have always been brave in defying repression and making sure that messages of Cubans reached others online across the world. Now mobile internet has become accessible to Cubans since about two years, but accessing it remains incredibly expensive. But the fact that the regime in Cuba once again seeks to censor people through shutting down internet services actually shows it is its Achilles' heel. As Yoani has said, the Castros have lost the internet.
On a different note, the FCC is finalizing a program to replace Huawei equipment in the United States. Will Europe soon make a similar move?
Well, I wouldn't wait for it, although pressure is growing against Huawei in Europe too. Sweden has taken a tough line along with Eastern European countries, while a country like Spain has sought a much more gradual approach. And one of the main challenges for Europeans is to ensure a united position at the intersection of its single market and 27 nationally decided national security thresholds. It is a question also impacting universities as they continue to accept research grants from companies like Huawei.
The dangers of deepfakes and the need for norms around trust
Get insights on the latest news about emerging trends in cyberspace from Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford University's Cyber Policy Center and former European Parliamentarian.
Have you seen the Tom Cruise deepfake and how dangerous is this technology?
Well, I did see the deepfake with Tom Cruise and it certainly looked more convincing than ones I'd previously seen with President Obama, Vladimir Putin, or Donald Trump. Clearly, this technology is growing more sophisticated and deepfakes more convincing. And it's dangerous when people cannot tell authentic, trustworthy messages from deceptive and manipulated ones. With AI generated text, we know that people cannot distinguish machine generated from human generated.
What is being done to combat such convincing forms of misinformation?
Well, there is a cat and mouse race to also advanced technologies that can help detect deepfakes, identify them. And additionally, regulation or clarification of rules may also help because impersonation is often already illegal, particularly when it comes to public officials. And ensuring that there is accountability and discouraging people to use deepfakes for fun or advertising stuff will hopefully create a norm towards trust. Building instead of breaking trust is essential not only for the use of technology, but for societies as a whole.