This piece by Wilneida Negrón from the Ford
Foundation merits a close read. Some of us often think of the
democratizing potential of social media and the Internet, however, as you can
see below, free and open expression are grievously at risk here and beyond.
The access to our lives that our own government has
should be a matter of grave concern not just to ourselves, but also in terms of
social justice causes locally and worldwide.
It is disturbing to consider how our own
government spies on its own citizens, let alone folks in other countries.
On this note, I just saw the movie, Snowden, and strongly recommend it. It focused, in
particular, on the NSA’s PRISM program that
Snowden exposed and that Negrón mentions below.
The access that our government already has to our
private lives is unsettling. But let's not be afraid. Let's
organize and let's act. To that end, Negrón provides very useful
suggestions in this piece below.
Thank you, President Darren Walker, Wilneida
Negrón, and the Ford Foundation, for all you do to expand civil
and human rights. Best of wishes in the
new year and Happy MLK Day!
Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.
College of Education, Education Policy and Planning
University of Texas at Austin
Wilneida Negrón,
Technology Fellow, Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice Team
In our increasingly complex and interconnected world, innovations in
technology and data are inching us closer to a reality driven by
automation, prediction, personalization, surveillance, and the merging
of our physical and digital lives. This is taking place at the same time
that the world is experiencing transformative cultural, demographic,
economic, and political shifts. In the face of so much uncertainty and
change, the independent watchdog group Freedom House reports that globally, Internet freedom has declined for
the sixth consecutive year, “with more governments than ever before
targeting social media and communication apps as a means of halting the
rapid dissemination of information, particularly during anti-government
protests.” At the same time, Civicus has highlighted the many threats facing democracies, representative institutions, and civil society as a whole.
As we begin a new year and a new political administration takes
office in the US, let’s take some time to consider some pressing issues
that exist at the nexus of technology and social justice—and think about
how we as social justice advocates can address them most effectively.
Even amid so many unknowns, we can be certain that these issues are
among those that will shape 2017 and the years and decades beyond it.
And they will be central to the work of building a free, open, and
transparent future.
1. Online hate crimes, harassment, and discrimination are increasing
In 2016, we saw an increase in the number of reported online hate crimes
and harassment targeting Muslims, immigrants, and LGBTQ people, as well
as groups working to protect reproductive rights and strengthen racial
justice. At the same time, Internet and other communication technologies
are being used to promote the online radicalization and organization of
hate groups.
2. Fake news, campaigns of misinformation, bias, and propaganda proliferate
During the 2016 election, the use of intelligent Twitter bots,
targeted advertising, and search engine manipulation affected what
Internet users saw on specific platforms and search engines. “Filter bubbles”
and algorithms have been blamed for failing to separate real news from
fiction, and researchers have noted an escalation in bias, propaganda,
and misinformation online. Together, these factors contribute to
increased polarization, and hamper the free flow of accurate information
that is essential for civil discourse, policymaking, and ultimately
democracy.
3. Trolling threatens democracy and free expression
During the 2016 US presidential election, online trolls were credited
with influencing political discourse. This kind of trolling is also a
global epidemic. Freedom House reports
that across the world, state-sponsored trolling operations (aka “troll
farms”) attack government critics and independent media often by posting
thousands of comments at a time, polluting online dialogue through hate
speech and disinformation. Hampering free speech, trolling is often
aimed at journalists and activists, along with political protest and
other forms of expression.
4. Reduced regulation creates risks for consumers
2017 may see the deregulation of the largest cable and phone
companies, and the weakening of hard-won consumer protection laws. These
reduced federal regulations could undermine a free, open, and secure
Internet
and undercut a variety of hard-won initiatives, protections, and
services that benefit low income individuals and households. These
include net neutrality wins, federal guidance and regulation of the Internet of Things, Lifeline and broadband subsidies for low-income households, and efforts to regulate prison phone costs.
5. Governmental databases put pressure on minority groups
As technology and data processing power gets more sophisticated,
government databases such as the National Security Entry-Exit
Registration System, deferred action, or gang databases
could be used to discriminate against or target vulnerable groups. At
the same time, the expansion of biometric technologies in the
immigration system and other areas may raise concerns about government
monitoring and data sharing.
6. Increased surveillance puts vulnerable groups under a microscope
The expansion of legislation such as the Patriot Act, along with the
use high-tech surveillance tools including drones, facial recognition
software, automated license plate readers, stingray tracking devices, and the NSA’s PRISM program
can lead to increased surveillance of citizens. This raises particular
concerns for vulnerable groups including Muslims, immigrants, and LGBTQ
communities.
7. Less attention to issues of algorithmic bias and online discrimination creates opportunities for abuse
The White House’s Big Data Initiative
has studied big data’s potential to discriminate, especially when it
comes to housing, employment, credit, and consumer issues. Legislation
including the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2015 and an
amendment to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act were intended to
govern the collection, use, and distribution of consumer data, and
extend the standard of protection for online and digital content. But
under a new administration, the fate of these rules and regulatory
attention is unclear.
8. Advocacy groups need digital security protections
In 2017, advocacy groups and social movements may be subject to a
greater degree of surveillance and/or harassment. As a result, they will
need a strong digital security infrastructure to help protect them
against potential threats, as well to support them in developing
strategies for responding to attacks as they arise.
9. Technology and data initiatives provide important support for social justice work
Increasingly, technology will play a central role in strengthening a
progressive agenda. To achieve this, organizations might focus more on
developing strategies for organizing and base-building across different
sectors, building strong progressive narratives, and supporting open
data initiatives at the state and local level to increase transparency
and accountability.
10. Developments in open government and transparency impact advocacy work
Since the 2000s, open government initiatives have sought to identify
ways to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and
harness new technologies to enhance governance. In support of these
efforts, the Obama administration developed Data.gov, a central online
location for all US government data. This year, we will see whether the
new administration will continue to maintain this useful resource, as
well as whether the US will remain in the multilateral Open Government Partnership, and how the government will handle the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), including reforms that Congress passed in 2016.
