Chris Sheehy

In this session, the angles of transparency and accountability to the use of data are looked at from the angle of human agency, human rights and freedom online. We’ll examine solutions and showcase best practices from the different countries and sectors. The session will initiate a discussion within the Freedom Online Coalition on the practices for personal data gathering, processing and sharing, contributing to positioning data as a more central issue to the work of FOC in the future. It will also consider some of the barriers that exist for meaningful transparency from companies and governments alike, as well as potential solutions.

This event will serve as the launch of the FOC’s Task Force on Internet Shutdowns. It will begin with a brief description of the task force’s structure and mission, led by speakers from the U.S. Department of State, Access Now, and the Global Network Initiative (GNI). These organizations are the task force’s founding chairs. The session will also feature breakout rooms engaging participants in answering two questions: How can well-intentioned governments protect individuals and democratic values online without resorting to Internet shutdowns? And what levers of influence can FOC members and partners use to influence the behavior of states that engage in Internet shutdowns?