U.S. Department of Commerce appoints 16 experts to advise the IoT Federal Working Group on IoT development policies, benefits for the U.S., small businesses, and international opportunities.
A coalition of eight civil society organisations has issued a joint statement in response to EU member states' actions at the second plenary meeting of the Council of Europe's Committee on AI.
NATO establishes a Review Board to govern responsible use of AI and data, decided during the meeting of Defense Ministers in Brussels. The board will develop certification standards aligning with NATO's Principles of Responsible Use, fostering quality controls, risk mitigation, and trustworthy AI systems. Each member state will appoint a national nominee from various sectors to serve on the board.
The Second Summit of the Partnership for Information and Democracy will be held on September 22, 2022, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It is currently supported by 45 countries and serves as a framework for multilateral reflection on the implementation of democratic guarantees in the global communication and information space. The Summit aims for better coordination in creating a safe democratic digital space.
Accreditation results of stakeholders for the OEWG 2021-2025 raise concerns, with only 54 out of 86 entities approved to participate. Vetoed organizations include notable names such as Microsoft and the World Economic Forum, prompting 28 organizations to pen a letter urging the Chair to reconsider the decision and allow broader multistakeholder involvement in the process.
A new Global Hub has been established by Womens World Banking and Capital Development Fund to address women's digital financial exclusion and boost women's entrepreneurship worldwide, particularly in developing nations. The initiative involves local coalitions in Indonesia and Ethiopia, along with a global component, to advocate for women's financial inclusion issues. The goal is to bridge the gender gap in digital technology access and financial products for female entrepreneurs. With 750 million women currently excluded from the formal financial system, this collaboration aims to unlock their potential by providing equal opportunities through technology and financial services.
In India, the arrest of Muhammed Zubair, a fact-checking website co-founder, over a satirical tweet mocking a Hindu god has sparked concerns over freedom of expression. The arrest is seen as a troubling development, with associations made to growing intolerance under the current right-wing government, despite recent pledges at the G7 summit to protect freedom of expression.
Civil society groups are urging MEPs to ban biometric mass surveillance, specifically remote use of identification systems like facial recognition in public spaces. The focus is on preventing mass surveillance and protecting against discriminatory or manipulative practices related to biometric categorization and emotion recognition.
During the first Africa-Europe Digital for Development (D4D) Hub Multi-Stakeholder Forum that took place on 18 March 2022, representatives from the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) underscored digital cooperation as a cornerstone of the AU-EU strategic partnership. The forum, which was convened under the theme ‘Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development in Africa,’ [...]
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) kicked off the P2C Online Pledging Platform and an action framework to advance universal connectivity and digital transformation. The P2C aims at mobilising resources to transform societies, promote sustainable digital technology uptake and ensure meaningful connectivity for everyone. To this aim, the P2C Online Pledging Platform is set to receive [...]
Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is a project co-funded by the European Union.
