Press release
I4T Knowledge network launch

I4T Knowledge Press release

Contribution to the UN Global Digital Compact

Paris, March 11, 2024 - 45 Leading think tanks and research centers on digital and data policy from all over the world form part of the “Internet for Trust Global Knowledge Network”, with the support of UNESCO. This network aims at being a trusted interface between knowledge producers and public decision makers. It notably addresses online disinformation, hate speech. It helps regulators better address the governance of digital platforms, in order to protect freedom of expression and other human rights.

Answering the invitation to Member States, observers and stakeholders to provide input and comments during the intergovernmental negotiations on a Global Digital Compact, the I4T Knowledge Global Knowledge Network provided written input on March 8, 2024.

These are suggestions we expect will help leverage UNESCO Internet 4 Trust regulation guidelines into Global Digital principles and commitments for a positive impact on human populations.

Concerning the principles guiding digital cooperation , we suggest adding the following principles

Recognise interdependencies between countries which implies combined bilateral or multilateral efforts to overcome the limited reach of national regulations aimed at technology governance.

Promote international standardisation and governance rules that are inclusive, participative and contextual to the needs of countries but that respond to a spirit of cooperation, coordination and in keeping with all stated principles.

Promote the creation of crisis response mechanisms that can effectively help navigate extraordinary (force majeure) circumstances during crises (like COVID19 or a natural disaster) when usual digital cooperation mechanisms are overwhelmed by sudden global or systemic phenomena.
Account for climate costs and potential climate impacts, specially on vulnerable and/or marginalised groups, when developing and deploying technologies, especially AI systems.

Concerning the commitments to improve digital cooperation , we suggest adding the following actions

with regards to “ Closing the digital divides” :

Create a multilingual internet to ensure greater access for larger populations across the world
Promote proactive identification, anticipation and mitigation of online risks and harms, particularly for those in need of specific protection.
 Promote information integrity and address misinformation and disinformation, particularly in specific contexts such as electoral periods, emergencies, armed conflict, and crises.

with regards to “ Fostering an inclusive, open, safe, secure digital space” :

Promote safe, secure, non-discriminatory, non-harmful uses of personal data, particularly when those uses may put vulnerable groups at a disadvantage or at risk of discrimination.
Work towards alternative models of internet and digital technologies that do not solely rely on personal data and that minimise invasions of privacy or risks to personal data

with regards to “ Governing AI for humanity” :

Promote alignment of regulation and the creation and adoption of international standards for governance and independent regulatory authorities as well as any global guidelines from all trusted stakeholders, and the United Nations and other international organisations, when facing design issues from global platform one-sided decisions.

Concerning the Follow up and Review of digital cooperation improvements

We consider the follow up and review as pivotal to foster change for digital, which has become a global cause just like Climate Change.

We recommend the same continuous improvement process, as used already in many UN or OECD programmes.

Such a method would require key metrics. Using digital reach metrics seems out-fashioned.

In the last decade, the number of indexes has multiplied so much.

We keep a track of them and we try to label them, according to their specific impact-tracking.

They offer a wonderful opportunity to zoom into root causes.

However, they make it impossible to zoom out and seize a global perspective of Global Digital nowadays. Especially, when trying to understand humanity-wide impacts.

We suggest designing a global index which would be as straightforward as global warming index and designing a global target which would be as operational as the Carbon budget.

Press contact

Christophe Gauthier, christophe.gauthier@I4Tknowledge.net

Website, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Mastodon

Supported by UNESCO Internet For Trust Initiative

Endorsed as a side-event for T20 Brasil / G20 Brasil

PRESS RELEASE Contribution to the UN Global Digital Compact.pdf

Academia and think tanks from all continents launch a 'Global Knowledge Network' with the support UN stakeholders to improve governance of the digital information space and their impact on human rights

Paris, February 22, 2024 - Leading think tanks and research centers on digital and data policy from all over the world launched today an “Internet for Trust Global Knowledge Network”, with the support of UNESCO. This network aims to serve as a trusted interface between knowledge producers and public-decision makers. It will notably address online disinformation and hate speech and help better regulate digital platforms governance in order to protect freedom of expression and other human rights.

This launch comes exactly one year to the day after UNESCO's "Internet for Trust" (I4T) international conference that brought together over 4,000 participants to discuss digital platform governance and led to the publication of UNESCO’s “Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms” in November 2023. To help monitor the impact of these guidelines and keep them continuously applicable, UNESCO supported the establishment of different stakeholder networks including for regulatory authorities and think tanks and research centers.

The network, “I4T Global Knowledge Network”, gathers leading think tanks and research centers in areas of digital and data policy from both the Global North and Global South.

The Network will inform digital platform governance policy and practice by fostering rigorous research on initiatives for the better governance of digital platforms, digital cooperation and AI-powered digital infrastructure and overall digital information and communication using generative AI.

The I4T Global Knowledge Network has chosen to act as a network of knowledge producers only, leaving out the membership of governments or corporations. It is supported by UNESCO, but independent in its deliberations and decisions.

Thanks to its members, the I4T Global Knowledge Network is in a unique position to offer region-by-region analyses of the impact of digital regulations on public debate, elections and emerging interdependent issues. It will interact regularly with the two other global I4T networks of regulators and election management bodies.

The I4T Global Knowledge Network will notably provide high-end independent research, assessment, observations and proposals on digital platforms relevant to UNESCO and regulators in UN member states to help better shape and enforce their digital platforms governance systems via multi stakeholder practice.

The seminar held from 21 to 22 February at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris provided an opportunity to validate the network's operating model and its 2024 roadmap of events and publications. It also served as a Brazil T20 side-event, for the inclusive digital transformation task force.

In the first year, the I4T Global Knowledge Network will focus on identifying key regulatory and related governance issues at two interrelated levels. At a general level, it will identify regulatory and governance issues around digital networks and platforms. More specifically, it will focus on issues of internet- and platform regulation tied to elections taking place in 2024, a year during which 81 countries will hold nationwide elections.

It already mapped over 200 research centers and think tanks from all over the world working on digital and data policy issues.

The I4T Global Knowledge Network has over 35 research centers and think tanks as founding members, coming from all over the world.

They include notably institutions from Australia (International Digital Policy Lab - University of Melbourne), Brazil (Aláfia Lab, Data Privacy Br, *desinformante, Faculdade de Ciência da Informação, Ibict, InternetLab, UnB), France (#Leplusimportant, TESaCo), India (Institute of Knowledge Societies, IT for change), Bangladesh (BNNRC), Indonesia (Koalisi Damai and LP3ES), Pakistan (Digital Rights Foundation), the Philippines (Ideacorp Inc), Sri Lanka (LIRNEasia), the United Kingdom (SCOTlin, Human AI Institute), the United States (the Ambivium Institute, Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University, Global Freedom of Expression from Columbia University, Portulans Institute, Voices for Peace). They also include several regional organizations, from Africa (Innovation 4 Policy Foundation, People Interest Technology Africa, Research ICT Africa), Asia (Asian Media Information and Communication Centre), Singapor (Civic Tech Lab), South America (Observacom) as well as global organizations (CELE, Council on Tech and Social Cohesion, Global Partners Digital, I4ADA, IAMCR, IIEGA, RadicalxChange). They work together in an ongoing dialogue with UNESCO.