Dear Network members,
It’s time for our monthly newsletter! We now wish to make some interesting announcements and share with you news in the field of digital rights.
The highlights:
International Symposium “Media Literacy in the Age of AI: Redefining the Possible”
We are pleased to share with you the invitation for the third annual international symposium, “Media Literacy in the Age of AI: Redefining the Possible,” organized within the USAID Media Literacy project “YouThink.” The event will be held on February 29 (Thursday), 2024 starting at 09:30 am (CEST) in Hotel Limak, Skopje and online on Zoom. The symposium is centered on the crucial convergence of media and information literacy with the fast-evolving domain of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It aims to examine how improved media literacy, particularly within the framework of AI technologies, can enable the youth to not only develop trust and critical assessment skills towards media content but also to effectively employ AI-powered media tools for driving positive changes in society. The symposium is set to host a series of talks and discussions, focusing on establishing a solid understanding of AI, its current state-of-the-art developments, its implications in the media landscape, and the critical need for educational systems to adapt and stay abreast with the rapid pace of AI advancements. More on the speakers on the following link. Register for online participation on the following Zoom link.
On 17 February 2024, the Digital Services Act (DSA) became fully applicable in Europe.It regulates online intermediaries and platforms such as marketplaces, social networks, content-sharing platforms, app stores, and online travel and accommodation platforms. Its main goal is to prevent illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation. It ensures user safety, protects fundamental rights, and creates a fair and open online platform environment. See more about DSA here.
For all Signal users, phone numbers will no longer be visible to everyone with whom one may be chatting with by default, instead it will be only the people who have one’s number saved in their phone’s contacts will still see that phone number since they already know it. Search options have been changed, too, and now due to a new, optional privacy setting, people have to have your exact unique username in order to start a conversation, or even know that you have a Signal account – even if they have your phone number.
A Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections
The “Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections” is a set of commitments to
deploy technology countering harmful AI-generated content meant to deceive voters. Signatories pledge to work collaboratively on tools to detect and address online distribution of such AI content, drive educational campaigns, and provide transparency, among other concrete steps. The importance of this lies in the fact that 2024 will bring elections to more people than any year in history, because there will be more than four billion people choosing their leaders and representatives through the right to vote. As AI is creating new opportunities as well as challenges for the democratic process, it is necessary to both explore the opportunities afforded by AI and take new steps together to protect elections and the electoral process.