Going to RightsCon in Toronto? Connect with members of the Berkman Klein community, and learn about their research

Wednesday, May 16th, 2018

Is This a New Face of Info War? "Patriotic" Trolling and Disinformation -- the Iran Edition Simin Kargar Details: Wednesday, May 16th, 2018; 10:30-11:45pm – 205A Online harassment and smear campaigns are increasingly applied as a form of information control to curb free speech and exert power in cyberspace. Targeted harassment of dissidents on social media appears as the most recent form of strategic communication, where particular messages are crafted by state-affiliated actors to manipulate public opinion. This session addresses the circumstances under which these coordinated efforts are likely to emerge, the latest practices of Iran to extend its ideological arms across social media, and the ultimate goals that they pursue.

Young, Safe, and Free: Respecting Children's Online Privacy and Freedom of Expression Patrick Geary,  Sarah Jacobstain, Jasmina Byrne, Fred Carter, Sandra Cortesi, Ariel Fox, Patrik Hiselius, Natasha Jackson Details: Wednesday, May 16th, 2018; 12:00-1:15pm – 206C This is chance to talk about practical steps that companies and public authorities can take to protect and empower children online. Companies and Data Protection Authorities will share how they consider risks to children's privacy online while still providing children with full, open and enriching online experiences. Civil society organizations will highlight the work that remains to be done, and academic researchers will ground this in evidence about how children exercise their rights to privacy and freedom of expression online. 

Online Criticism, Falsified Court Orders & the Role of Intermediaries: Coping With Takedown Requests of Questionable Legitimacy Adam Holland, Daphne Keller, Eugene Volokh Details: Wednesday, May 16th, 2018; 2:30-3:45pm – 204B Lumen is a research project devoted to collecting and analyzing requests to remove online materials. Recently, researchers and advocates, including Professor Eugene Volokh, have uncovered an alarming pattern of falsified court orders used to seek and often achieve the removal of online material. The Lumen team will open the workshop with a brief introduction to Lumen and to the site’s API. Once the attendees are familiar with Lumen, they will facilitate a discussion about the implications of falsified court orders within the takedown request landscape.