Youth IGF at IGF 2021 by Youth IGF

Creating sustainable value and inclusive society –the role of digital platforms

Major digital platforms are present in all of our lives 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They know everything about us by analyzing our online behaviour, the content that we consume and the products that we buy. Since digital companies possess huge amounts of our data and thus generate billions of revenues, the question needs to be asked: can Big Tech do more than just sell ads? What should be their social responsibility?

"We do not have to act against Big Tech, but rather work together with them for a better future”

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Article by: Youth IGF. December 2021

The European Union is at the forefront in advocating for the regulation of internet platforms. Legislative proposals such as the Digital Services Act and the Data Markets Act have been a major step forward in this direction. Mr. Roberto Viola, Director General of DG Connect at the European Commission, spoke at the IGF 2021 about the recently proposed Data Governance Act. European initiatives aimed at holding platforms liable are a good solution that can be implemented in countries outside the EU. However, it will take a while until we can see the real outcomes. Other countries could take Europe's path, but it is crucial to consider local specificities. Good data governance requires a certain level of cybersecurity preparedness. Some states are simply not yet ready to ensure the implementation of these regulations. This is the case of Uganda, said Youth IGF Partner Christine Kabazira during a live commentary session from IGF 2021 organized by the Youth IGF.

There is growing public and government concern around the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI), which can generate harmful content online, and the role of digital platforms in reducing it. This point was underlined by Mr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, speaking at the IGF 2021 in Katowice. The question is how exactly AI technology is using data. Since artificial intelligence requires huge amounts of data, we must ensure that users are first aware that their data is processed and analyzed, and only then give their permission to do so.

For this purpose, comprehensive regulation of AI is needed. But we are still far from the solution, says Dunsin Fatuase, a Youth IGF Partner from Nigeria. Another point to take into account is the environmental impact of data used by AI. Digital platforms rely on data centres and large volumes of computing power, meaning that they consume considerable amounts of energy. Big Tech companies should be responsible for promoting sustainable business models, says Tim Unwin, Professor of Royal Holloway University of London.

Youth IGF @IGF2021 Live commentary from parliamentary session on legislative approaches. Day 1. Hosted by Yuliya Morenets. With Prof Tim Unwin, Dunsin Fatuase, Christine Kabazira.

Social media have become a catalyst for misinformation. The proliferation of misinformation and harmful content online is partly the result of the free speech on digital platforms. Commenting on what Nighat Dad from Facebook’s oversight board said about the regulation of content on Facebook and Instagram, Youth IGF leaders stated that the effectiveness of the procedure of removing harmful content is crucial. At the same time, users themselves should be ready to face risks on digital platforms they use. People have to be prepared to do their own research and fact-checking so not to fall victim of misinformation.

During a podcast briefing from Day 1 of the IGF 2021 in Katowice, Tomas Lamanauskas, Candidate for Deputy Secretary General of the ITU, called for the creation of a balanced system, making digital platforms a place where digital services are created, investments continue to grow, and citizens can exercise their rights as consumers and users. This is not about war with digital platforms, but cooperation. "We do not have to act against Big Tech, but rather work together with them for a better future,” said Yuliya Morenets, a Youth IGF Partner. Young people have a role to play as well. As active citizens and consumers, they are responsible for the way they use digital technologies and can serve a good cause by helping to create a sustainable and inclusive society.

Misinformation. Credit: Photo by Memyselfaneye on Pixabay.

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Bringing the voice of youth on the digital world to you from +35 countries. We talk about policies and governance, with a focus on online safety, cybersecurity skills, online fakes and all the hottest internet issues. Our opinions are drafted by young professionals from the Youth IGF community.

Legislative approaches for a user-centric digital space

Issues such as privacy, cybersecurity, data protection, content policy and user protection have already received great attention from legislators across the world. However, no comprehensive global legal approaches to a user-centric internet have been found so far.

What can be done to improve the situation and, most importantly, who should lead the process?

"Youth are more agile, speed comes with youth”

The international community has recently realised the importance of introducing legal solutions for the regulation of digital space in order to protect citizens' rights online. Issues such as privacy, cybersecurity, data protection, content policy and user protection have already received great attention from legislators

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Article by: Youth IGF. December 2021

across the world. However, the process of making laws and applying them to the digital world is still complicated, and no comprehensive global legal approaches to a user-centric internet have been found so far. What can be done to improve the situation and, most importantly, who should lead the process?

When addressing the legislative aspect of internet regulation, the role of parliamentarians should be emphasised. They are the ones approving laws, so their participation in internet governance regulation is key. Since different countries have different legal systems, this is when international cooperation is needed. This was the message from Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations at the IGF 2021 parliamentary roundtable in Katowice. Political leaders must ensure communication between countries in the legal field. While some states are more active in this regard, others still lag behind. Private organisations and human rights activists cannot act alone –strong government participation is required. During a live commentary session organised by the Youth IGF direct from IGF 2021, Youth IGF leaders argued that all stakeholders should contribute to the growth and usefulness of the internet.

At the same time, clever laws can only be created by clever lawmakers, stressed Marina Kaljurand, Member of the European Parliament and former Estonian foreign minister. Parliamentarians bear a big responsibility when it comes to introducing the right legislation, especially concerning the digital space. Politicians need to have skills and capabilities to succeed in this. Bigger representation for women is also of huge importance. Members of parliament often experience difficulties with understanding the technical side of the issue, meaning they are in need of much more awareness-raising, education and capacity-building. And the exchange of experience between politicians from different countries is essential. Professor Tim Unwin from Holloway University of London believes that European countries, who have been the leaders in introducing legislation so far, also have to learn from African and Latin American countries in order to see how we can successfully align respective legislations and exchange best practices.

Youth IGF @IGF2021 Live commentary from parliamentary session on legislative approaches for a user-centric digital space. Day 2. Hosted by Yuliya Morenets. With Prof Tim Unwin, Dunsin Fatuase, Bernardo Sequeiros.

Thomas Schneider, Head of international affairs at the Federal Office of Communication of Switzerland, pointed out that modern legal systems are mostly incapable of keeping up with the fast development of digital technologies, as it can take years to write new laws. This is where politicians can turn to the younger generations. Young people with digital skills, as well as young lawyers, can assist decisionmakers and come up with creative ideas and tangible solutions to speed up the process.

"Youth are more agile, speed comes with youth," said Dunsin Fatuase, a Youth IGF Partner from Nigeria. Thematic groups can be established within parliaments, comprised of young specialists in the field of digital technologies and law. Tech-savvy youngsters can give their recommendations to policymakers and help reduce the gap. Cooperation between parliamentarians and young people is therefore crucial, says Bernardo Sequeiros, a Youth IGF Partner from Portugal.

The involvement of young people in political life is not only important for politicians, but for young people themselves. They should have a chance to learn from policymakers and to understand the process so they can become future leaders in the field. During a podcast briefing from Day 2 of the IGF 2021 in Katowice, Yuliya Morenets, founder of the Youth IGF, said that all stakeholders should realise the need for youth participation in policy and regulatory process.

Young people. Credit: Photo by Dimhou on Pixabay.

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Antitrust regulation of internet platforms: the global outlook

Large digital platforms have a major share of the digital market and are competing for users’ data. This comes as an impediment to smaller businesses that want to enter the market and sell their goods and services to customers.

"This [AI and machine learning] is something that authorities should use, they should have experts working with them to help them” Countries across the world are increasingly implementing antitrust measures to foster fair competition between digital platforms and boost innovation on the internet.

However, the first thing to consider is the real value of antitrust regulation for smaller market players. Governments introducing antitrust laws often tend to focus on limiting the influence of big tech companies and competing for power with them. And this may not be beneficial for SMEs in all cases. So it is too early to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of antitrust policies. As Youth IGF leaders pointed

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Article by: Youth IGF. December 2021

out during a live commentary session from IGF 2021 organised by the Youth IGF, there is still a long way to go until it is clear whether these policies are good for smaller businesses and can really foster competition and innovation.

The antitrust regulation frameworks that are now being applied to internet platforms and national markets typically vary from country to country. The absence of a single antitrust model is a serious obstacle to an integrated global approach to the matter. While some countries value the economic impact of antitrust laws, others tend to prioritise their influence on the well-being of societies. The question is which model will dominate in the long run, and whether states will reach a consensus.

Small countries have a role to play, says Professor Gilberto Martins de Almeida from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro: they should be more active in this field so as not to allow major economies to lead the agenda on their own. Small nations should have their voices heard with the help of international organisations and call for closer cooperation from the global community on antitrust regulation of internet platforms.

When discussing the issue of antitrust regulation of tech companies, it is important to consider the opinion of users. As consumers of digital goods and services, they have a chance to drive the process on the market as well. Following a talk about market dominance at the IGF 2021 by James Hodge from the Competition Commission of South Africa, Youth IGF Partner Dunsin Fatuase said that dominance can only be achieved if users feel safe with what internet platforms do

This means that people should have a right to choose which services they want to use and switch between different companies providing them if they wish to. Young people believe most users are not worried about the way digital companies compete on the market, because they tend to care more about the quality of services.

Countries. Credit: Photo by NastyaSensei on Pixabay.

Youth IGF @IGF2021 Live commentary on antitrust regulation of Internet platforms in global outlook. Day 3. Hosted by Yuliya Morenets. With Prof Gilberto Martins

Young people are concerned that legislators are not currently making use of the potential of technologies that can be used to monitor the competition on the market. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are able to discover attempts of market domination, for example. “This is something that authorities should use, they should have experts working with them to help them,” said Bernardo Sequeiros, a Youth IGF Partner from Portugal. Young specialists should also be engaged to assist legislators on technical issues. What is of the utmost importance, says Youth IGF founder Yuliya Morenets, is the implementation of technical standards and data protection measures to accompany antitrust regulation.

During a podcast briefing from Day 3 of the IGF 2021 in Katowice, John Frank, Vice President of UN Affairs at Microsoft, stressed the need to work out tangible solutions to tackle the regulation of digital platforms while preserving the positive social benefits that they create. The challenges that internet platforms currently present to governments and citizens have already heightened the intensity of discussions, and this trend will only continue.

de Almeida, Dunsin Fatuase, Bernardo Sequeiros Internet. Credit: Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.

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Digital health blueprints for a post-pandemic world

As the amount of healthcare data skyrockets, so do the risks to data privacy and security. Despite the rising number of cyberattacks on hospitals and the leakage of patient information, discussions about the protection of health data are still progressing slowly.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way healthcare is provided. The majority of hospitals have started delivering medical services online, and patients are having their appointments with doctors via computers. As a result, health data is becoming more and more digitised. As the amount of healthcare data skyrockets, so do the risks to data privacy and security. Despite the rising number of cyberattacks on hospitals and the leakage of patient information, discussions about the protection of health data are still progressing slowly.

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"If we anonymise data, and there are technologies that allow us to at least partially do that, it will provide defence in terms of data privacy”

Article by: Youth IGF. December 2021

Individuals have a right to know and to control the way their data is being used. The same applies to health data, especially since it is considered to be sensitive data. This point was underlined by Anita Gurumurthy, a founding member and executive director of IT for Change, at the IGF 2021. It is critical for people to know where their health data is located, how it is protected and who can access it. Considering the rise in identity theft, having control over one's data can reduce the number of cases in which data is somehow misused by the third party or stolen by cybercriminals. What's more, young people believe that it is technically possible to determine where our data is stored. This therefore raises questions about the political will to actually provide citizens with this information.

What is crucial to determine is who should be responsible for citizens' health information. Private companies that keep our medical data may not have the necessary level of liability, worries Professor Barbara Prainsack from Vienna University, a speaker at the IGF 2021 session on digital health. The extent of data possession by governments and private companies has to be clearly outlined so that data is properly managed and is not used without consent from citizens. For this a regulatory balance of liability for private and public sector is needed, said Levy Syanseke, a Youth IGF Partner from Zambia, during a live commentary session from IGF 2021 organised by the Youth IGF.

Data. Credit: Photo by Lukas on Pexels. Youth IGF @IGF2021 Live commentary on digital health blueprints for a post-pandemic world. Day 4. Hosted by Yuliya Morenets. With Prof Gilberto Martins de Almeida, Bernardo Sequeiros, Levy Syanseke.

Today there is a pressing need to strengthen the security of health data flows. The consequences of a cyberattack where health data is compromised may be terrible and will negatively affect an individual’s social life, their job opportunities, etc. What we can try to do is to find a way to anonymise health data so the person it belongs to cannot be identified.

"If we anonymise data, and there are technologies that allow us to at least partially do that, it will provide defence in terms of data privacy," said Bernardo Sequeiros, a Youth IGF Partner from Portugal. The role of the public sector in ensuring the anonymisation of data is to be taken into account. Governments should push for stronger anonymisation and impose stringent security frameworks for health data flows, according to Professor Gilberto Martins de Almeida from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

The pandemic has forced the adoption of digital technologies and transformed healthcare. Locked up at home, people turned to telemedicine. Although this kind of medical treatment is far from gaining the same amount of trust enjoyed by traditional medicine, it is hard to deny that telemedicine presents many benefits, especially for developing countries. However, this is not possible if people simply do not have access to the internet, said Youth IGF founder Yuliya Morenets during a podcast briefing from Day 4 of the IGF 2021 in Katowice. And this is still the case in rural areas in the developing world. “The call to do something about connectivity and broadband is a permanent call for action,” said Morenets.

Anonymous. Credit: Photo by B_A on Pixabay.

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From commitment to action:breaking barriers to connectivity

Internet and digital technologies have allowed a number of us to make a smooth shift to online learning and remote work. However, a big part of the world’s population has remained excluded from use of the internet.

During the COVID-19 pandemic it has become overwhelmingly evident that reliable internet connection is essential for every human being in the modern world; the ongoing struggle with the virus has forced us to move our lives online. Internet and digital technologies have allowed a number of us to make a smooth shift to online learning and remote work, to continue using public services and to participate in the life of our societies while sitting in front of our computers at home.

However, a big part of the world’s population has remained excluded from use of the internet.

A basic internet package should be provided to everyone, said Professor Gilberto Martins de Almeida from

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"Internet access has to be regarded as an essential right”

Article by: Youth IGF. December 2021

the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro during a live commentary session from IGF 2021 organised by the Youth IGF.

The importance of internet access was at the heart of many discussions at the UN Internet Governance Forum 2021 in Katowice. One of the main issues discussed was the question of who is responsible for providing people with internet access. Who should be in charge of this? On one hand, there should be a bigger push from governments to finance internet infrastructure. This is often an issue of political will, related to both the geographical deployment of the necessary infrastructure and the availability of credits to allocate for this deployment, together with partnership development.

On the other hand, the private sector is of course interested in making money, but has an important role to play by bringing the internet to the most vulnerable people and difficult-to-access areas. To date this has been done with the help of universal service funds, financed by private sector actors to facilitate the provision of internet access to rural areas for example.

Success stories remain limited, however, and the private sector is beginning to show, as has been underlined during the UN IGF 2021, that areas without internet access should first become attractive in terms of market competitiveness, and businesses and internet access will then follow by themselves. Public-private dialogue can be of interest in this context.

Internet Data Wire. Credit: Photo by B_A on Pixabay.

Youth IGF @IGF2021 Live commentary on breaking barriers to connectivity. Day 5. Hosted by Yuliya Morenets. With Prof

Could we somehow change the perception of the importance of connectivity if internet access was recognised as a basic human right at a global level? "Internet access has to be regarded as an essential right," says Anna Krupnik, a Youth IGF Partner and a member of the ITU Generation-Connect Europe Youth Group, who believes it is especially important for future generations and their well-being.

Internet access. Credit: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.

Nevertheless, simply giving people access to the internet is still not enough: they should be taught the necessary skills to be able to use digital technologies in the right way. Following a talk on capacity-building given at the IGF 2021 by Lidia Stępińska, deputy director of the Department of Foreign Affairs at Poland’s Office of Electronic Communications, Youth IGF Partner and Professor of Higher School of Economics of Russia Mikhail Komarov stressed that this is closely related to the issue of internet access. A lot of people will not be able to participate in everyday life without internet access, meaning they won't be able to use online tools and services to connect with other people and build social interactions. But even if we have global robust internet connectivity, those without digital skills will be left behind. Youth IGF leaders believe that online safety skills are crucial in this regard too, because they allow people to safely navigate the internet.

Gilberto Martins de Almeida, Prof Mikhail Komarov, Anna Krupnik

The private sector actors present at the “title” IGF workshop organised by ETNO believe that internet deployment in difficult-to-reach areas is impossible without a strong public-private partnership. This point was underlined by Robert Pepper, Head of Global Connectivity Policy and Planning at Meta, in his talk at the IGF 2021. Pepper said that a multi-stakeholder public-private partnership is needed if we are to eliminate barriers to connectivity.

But, as Youth IGF founder Yuliya Morenets pointed out during a podcast briefing from Day 5 of the IGF 2021 in Katowice, this cannot truly take the interests of all stakeholders into account unless the young are able to share their voice. Young people can participate in a public-private partnership as a part of advisory groups by giving recommendations to policymakers and bringing new ideas to the table. According to Lucien Castex, a Representative for Public Policy at Afnic, the pandemic has made us realise not only the importance of digital transformation, but also the acute need for digital inclusion. Young people should be a key part of the discussions here.

Social interaction. Credit: Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.

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