Gender-based violence on and through digital communication technologies is arguably the most pervasive human rights violation on the Internet. It is clear that technology — once considered an agent for gender equality — has become a serious threat to women’s rights. Sexual harassment. Rape threats. Objectification....
Regulation of digital media may be understood as a means for expanding the space for freedom of expression. There is however a spectrum of reasons for opposition to such regulation, from concerns about potential for abuse by authoritarian States to global big tech’s interest to operate...
WACC partners advanced a vision for just, inclusive, and community-led digital communication at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2023 last week in Kyoto, Japan. “The Internet We Want — Empowering All People” was the theme of this year’s meeting of the IGF, a UN mechanism bringing...
The latest report to warn about the societal risks of artificial Intelligence (AI) documents extensive research of human rights online. Freedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence assesses internet freedom in 70 countries, accounting for almost 90 percent of global internet users. Their...
“Digital Justice: A Study and Action Guide” is newly available in French and Spanish, widening access for even more people who want to learn more about being a digital advocate and bridging the digital divide. The guide, co-published by WACC and the World Council of Churches...
Young people in Georgia are being equipped to create a safer and more secure digital environment for all through a WACC-supported project with partner organization Helping Hand. Georgia has no internet regulation, a situation which heightens risks of cyberbullying, online harassment, and the spread of fake...
WACC is partnering with the Computer Professionals’ Union (CPU) in the Philippines to uphold people’s rights to access communication, to privacy, to security, and to free speech. In late 2022 the Filipino government began enacting a law requiring all SIM card users in the country to...
Gender integration — through inclusive policies and practical initiatives — is urgently needed in digital spaces, panelists concluded during a session on digitalization and intersectionality at the WACC partner consultation “Communication Rights: Towards a Digital Justice Agenda” in Nairobi, Kenya, in early August. Gender inclusion has...
A number of recent research reports investigate the impact social media has on mental health, social well-being – and political polarization. One study, supported by Meta, involved collaboration with a number of US universities to examine the impact of social media – specifically Facebook and Instagram...
WACC project partners from 17 countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have outlined a vision for a process of digital transformation rooted in justice and focused on the common good as the international community moves towards the 20-year review of the World Summit...