#speakup barometer

The Promise and Perils of Digital Participation: Global Experts weigh in

Digital participation is essential to democratic societies, but it is threatened by new forms of online engagement. Our global experts discuss what governments and platforms must do to ensure digital access for all.

Jemila Abdulai, Blogger (Ghana)

“If you're using social media, you can actually access your capital. You can access the country next to yours, you can access an entire sub-region. Or even the entire continent.”
Regina Honu, CEO Soronko Academy

A major barrier to digital participation is gender: “Women should be given equal access just as men when it comes to digital. We must assure that all women, wherever they are, also have the opportunity to access data or go online.”
Guy Berger, Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development (UNESCO)

“UNESCO has developed Internet Universality indicators to get an evidence base of what is happening in terms of rights, openness, accessibility, and multi-stakeholder practice. When you have that map, you can make recommendations for changes in policy by government, the companies operating there, the media, civil society, the technology people and by journalism developers and journalism teachers.”
Berhan Taye, #KeepitOn (Access Now)

“Participation online means that you're able to access information. And for any functional democracy, access to information is one of the basic rights and services provided by government.”
Rebecca MacKinnon, Director (Ranking Digital Rights)

“Digital platforms need to be clear with their users: who has access to their data under what circumstances? The companies need to really be proactive about anticipating what possible harms might come from their business and work to prevent those harms. Part of the problem is that the business model is set up for certain types of engagement that actually amplify harmful behaviors.”
David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur

Companies such as Facebook “need to find ways to involve their users and civil society more in designing the rules of the platform,” in order to foster “a kind of democratic digital participation.”
Catherine Gicheru, ICFJ fellow / Country Manager (Code4Kenya)

Catherine Gicheru is concerned that digital platforms are too “urban based,” and leave out women’s voices: “If you don't hear 52 percent of your population then what policies are you going to come up with?”
Mark Surman, Executive Director (Mozilla Foundation)

“Participating in the digital world is participating in society. And the real question is how will we participate? Will it be good for humanity or in the service of a set of big companies?”

Jemila Abdulai, Blogger (Ghana)

“If you're using social media, you can actually access your capital. You can access the country next to yours, you can access an entire sub-region. Or even the entire continent.”
Regina Honu, CEO Soronko Academy

A major barrier to digital participation is gender: “Women should be given equal access just as men when it comes to digital. We must assure that all women, wherever they are, also have the opportunity to access data or go online.”
Guy Berger, Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development (UNESCO)

“UNESCO has developed Internet Universality indicators to get an evidence base of what is happening in terms of rights, openness, accessibility, and multi-stakeholder practice. When you have that map, you can make recommendations for changes in policy by government, the companies operating there, the media, civil society, the technology people and by journalism developers and journalism teachers.”
Berhan Taye, #KeepitOn (Access Now)

“Participation online means that you're able to access information. And for any functional democracy, access to information is one of the basic rights and services provided by government.”
Rebecca MacKinnon, Director (Ranking Digital Rights)

“Digital platforms need to be clear with their users: who has access to their data under what circumstances? The companies need to really be proactive about anticipating what possible harms might come from their business and work to prevent those harms. Part of the problem is that the business model is set up for certain types of engagement that actually amplify harmful behaviors.”
David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur

Companies such as Facebook “need to find ways to involve their users and civil society more in designing the rules of the platform,” in order to foster “a kind of democratic digital participation.”
Catherine Gicheru, ICFJ fellow / Country Manager (Code4Kenya)

Catherine Gicheru is concerned that digital platforms are too “urban based,” and leave out women’s voices: “If you don't hear 52 percent of your population then what policies are you going to come up with?”
Mark Surman, Executive Director (Mozilla Foundation)

“Participating in the digital world is participating in society. And the real question is how will we participate? Will it be good for humanity or in the service of a set of big companies?”

Date 08.01.2019
Number of pictures 8
Send us your feedback.
Print Print this page
Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3B0DL

SPECIAL

#speakup barometer

The Promise and Perils of Digital Participation: Global Experts weigh in

Jemila Abdulai, Blogger (Ghana)

Regina Honu, CEO Soronko Academy

Guy Berger, Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development (UNESCO)

Berhan Taye, #KeepitOn (Access Now)

Rebecca MacKinnon, Director (Ranking Digital Rights)

David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur

Catherine Gicheru, ICFJ fellow / Country Manager (Code4Kenya)

Mark Surman, Executive Director (Mozilla Foundation)