CELE celebrated the 2023 edition of its workshop in Buenos Aires
On July 26 and 27, the 11th edition of the workshop "For better Internet regulation in Latin America" was held in Buenos Aires, organized by CELE. We had the honor of receiving almost 50 representatives of civil society organizations and academia that study, work, and promote the defense of human rights in the digital sphere in our region.
About the CELE workshop
The Workshop "For a better regulation of the Internet in Latin America" is a space for meeting, debate, strategic discussion and consensus building between organizations and academics working on human rights issues on the Internet in the region. To this end, CELE offers a constructive and diverse space to discuss the agenda, research projects under development, and works not yet published. The 2023 edition marked another milestone in the call for this space that we have organized for more than a decade and that has had international editions in collaboration with organizations such as Article 19 Mexico and Central America, Artigo 19 in Brazil and the Karisma Foundation in Colombia.
This year's themes
Various topics were addressed in this year's discussions. We share here a brief review of each one. After their discussion, we stayed in contact to continue the exchange of discussion, research and advocacy ideas with the workshop participants.
Regulatory threats as a governance mechanism
In this session, the importance of regulatory threats as a power resource in Internet governance was highlighted. The need for empirical research on these mechanisms in action was raised, seeking to understand their characteristics and constituent elements. Likewise, it was discussed whether these threats are always undesirable for all parties involved and whether it is possible to control and deal with these dynamics that often occur behind closed doors.
Disinformation in Latin American electoral processes
Electoral misinformation has been recognized as one of the main risks in proposals for regulations and laws related to platforms in recent years. In a democratic society, this discussion poses both philosophical and practical challenges to free speech. In an effort to address this problem, we analyze experiences and measures taken in different countries of the region, with the aim of generating an enriching debate on the solutions that could be implemented.
Use of the Internet for the criminalization of expression
In this session, the criminal laws that criminalize expression were addressed, using the fight against terrorism and disinformation as a mechanism, and their historical use to silence dissident and opposition voices. Specific regulatory proposals were studied in countries of the region, aimed at issues such as the apology of terrorism in social networks and cybercrime regulations used to silence women and LGTBIQ people. We problematize the conformity of these practices with international standards of freedom of expression and we discuss regional strategies to protect human rights in the context of the next International Convention on Cybercrime.
Governance in crisis: challenges and opportunities
In this module, we discuss the constant struggle for power on the internet and how various sectors influence its design, architecture and use. Although historically there has been an emphasis on multi-stakeholder Internet governance, this perception has changed due to various factors, including geopolitical tensions. In the module, we question the decolonial view of internet governance and talk about the need to promote a broader debate on the challenges of decolonial legacies and how to complement decolonization through a meta-governance approach in the field. The challenges and opportunities in the forums traditionally associated with this topic were also explored.
The Brussels effect: the DSA and the GDPR
In this session we address research projects that seek to analyze the effects of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in southern countries and how European concepts are adapted to different legal, social and cultural systems. Discussion focused on key DSA topics such as auditing, data access for investigators, and systemic risk assessment. In addition, the lessons learned and the global implementation of the GDPR as a precedent for the DSA were explored, to foster the debate on the European influence in regulation in other regions, especially in Latin America.
Data access for researchers
The adoption of the Digital Services Act in Europe introduces Article 40, which establishes the obligation of platforms to provide access to data for research purposes. In this session, we discuss this article in response to a growing demand from civil society, academics, and States. With the implementation of the DSA, discussions have begun on how to regulate this provision and ensure access to data for researchers. To this end, we exchange ideas and strategies, and map advocacy opportunities to achieve greater articulation and effectiveness for participation from our region.
Human rights and Internet companies. The wikimedia model
In this module, the Wikimedia Foundation presented their overview of due diligence, as well as the risks and threats identified from the 2020 human rights impact assessment. The main challenges they face in effectively addressing these risks and the measures taken to identify, analyze and mitigate them. We did a feedback exercise to strengthen concepts, deepen our understanding of due diligence practices, and exchanged views regarding platform evaluation processes globally.
Overcoming dichotomies in platform regulation
In this discussion, we set ourselves an exercise to understand and complement the dichotomies in the positions of civil society on the regulation of platforms. We explore the narratives, strategies and objectives of the community in regulatory advocacy and analyze the tensions derived from different approaches, such as the dichotomy between positions in favor or against the regulation of Internet platforms. We wonder how these insights might affect our strategic decisions and the effectiveness of our campaigns.
The regional agenda on Freedom of Expression. Vision of the Special Rapporteur on the prospects for freedom of expression in Latin America
The workshop was closed by the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Pedro Vaca, who shared his vision of the situation at the regional level and offered his perspectives for his second term as head of the Rapporteur.
Training day and "onboarding" for new members of the community
Additionally, on July 25, the first edition of the face-to-face training session for young members recently admitted to the digital rights organizations that make up the consortium was held. AlSur. Those who attended this course received training on topics such as the history of the Internet, its governance, privacy and surveillance, gender and the Internet, content moderation, freedom of expression, and free Internet
Satisfied with the results of the meeting, we reaffirm our commitment to make the CELE Workshop a broad space for discussion that brings together diverse voices on the Internet and human rights in Latin America. We appreciate the commitment of the participants, and we look forward to seeing you in next year's edition.
