In a letter to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan, GNI raises concerns about ongoing restrictions on digital communications in Myanmar, including network disruptions, website blocking, and efforts by governmental actors to manipulate social media platforms.
"Content Regulation and Human Rights: Analysis and Recommendations" uses human rights to analyze more than 20 recent, governmental initiatives that claim to address various forms of digital harm. The brief is the result of months of multistakeholder analysis by GNI’s diverse, expert membership, as well as six virtual consultations with government actors and other key stakeholders in Africa, the EU, India, Pakistan, and the UK.
The DSA is expected to transform the regulatory environment for tech companies and have wide-reaching impacts beyond the EU. In our response to a European Commission consultation, GNI shares important considerations for protecting digital rights in three areas: 1) Safety and Responsibility; 2) Liability Regime; and 3) Governance and Enforcement.
GNI convened representatives from civil society, academia, the ICT industry, and the U.K. government to consider the Online Harms White Paper in the context of the human rights framework, with four discussion topics: codes of conduct, duty of care, remedy, and privacy. GNI previewed the content regulation policy brief to be launched in the coming weeks.
On 16 July 2020, GNI hosted a multistakeholder roundtable discussion with local experts and policymakers on digital content regulation in Pakistan. The discussion was informed by a forthcoming policy brief from GNI examining content regulation efforts worldwide with a human rights lens.
Representatives from civil society, academia, the legal community, ICT companies, and policymakers in India joined a roundtable discussion to examine the Draft Intermediaries Guidelines through the lens of international human rights law, framed by a forthcoming GNI policy brief on content regulation and human rights.
GNI is very concerned about a new social media bill currently being considered by the Turkish parliament, which contains problematic provisions likely to complicate the operation of social media services & challenge the ability of Turkish citizens to freely exercise their rights.
An introduction to the GNI blog series examining government efforts to address online harms around the world. Written by members and close collaborators, the series will provide practical guidance to those seeking to regulate content while upholding human rights.
Several provisions of the proposed "Law of Freedom, Responsibility, and Transparency on the Internet” in Brazil would be counterproductive to the stated intent of the bill and pose risks for freedom of expression and privacy. Brazil’s legislature should heed calls from international experts and civil society and take care to respect the rights enshrined in Marco Civil by rejecting the bill and engaging in meaningful and transparent multi-stakeholder consultation to find a truly rights-respecting way forward.
On June 4, 2020, GNI hosted a multistakeholder roundtable discussion to examine key provisions of the anticipated European Union Digital Services Act through the lens of international human rights law. Held under Chatham House Rule, the online event was attended by nearly 70 guests, including EU policymakers and experts from academia, civil society, and ICT companies. Read more in the event report.
