Keynote Speakers
Nationalism, Disinformation, & Free Expression in the Age of the Internet
The internet seemed to hold the promise of human freedom and the creation of a global public sphere. Inherent within the promise, the Internet would remove obstacles to the access of information and thereby break down barriers between people. That has been undermined by countervailing forces and widespread disillusionment with a globalized Internet has arisen amid the rise of nationalism online and the spread of disinformation.
8:30 a.m.Moderator
Dana Priest
Where are all those Digital Dividends we expected from the Internet?
Remember the optimism we shared about how the Internet would deliver all sorts of “digital dividends” to advance global public interest? We imagined the internet could unite a diverse world with information sharing and social connections. We looked for broader and better education, economic opportunity, transparency, free expression, and productivity, too.
3:15 p.m.Moderator
Evan Swarztrauber
Morning Breakout Sessions
Promoting a More Inclusive Internet
The Promoting a More Inclusive Internet Panel will look at current barriers to an inclusive Internet and explore how access can be expanded to underserved areas and underrepresented communities that are still struggling to get access.
10:45 a.m.Smarter Network Oppurtunities & Digital Game Changers
10:45 a.m.Healing Internet Fragmentation
One of the core features of the Internet’s design is the ability for it to route around failure and to heal itself from fragmentation. The notion of healing can mean fixing the broken or learning to accept and adapt to that which cannot be changed. In cases of fragmentation that have ambiguous or even beneficial effects, we may choose to accept that it is part of the larger framing of the Internet, rather than try to change it and attempt to mitigate resulting harms.
10:45 a.m.Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Taking a Holistic Approach to the Internet of Things
IoT devices and their implementations can create weaknesses that compromise the security of individuals, homes, businesses, and industrial control systems . Global efforts such as the IGF IoT dynamic coalition can help to frame and manage risk in the IoT ecosystem. The panel will discuss potential vulnerabilities and ways to mitigate risks when low-cost or high-longevity devices, some with no security or with software that is not designed to be updated or is not supported, are installed in a network, potentially creating the weakest link in the organization’s IT environment.
1:30 p.m.National Network Regulation vs. the Global Cloud
The growth of global cloud services have enabled individuals and businesses of all sizes to cheaply and easily access data and powerful digital tools anywhere there is an Internet connection–but only if data can flow freely across the Internet. The problem is that more and more countries are trying to regulate the networks that enable the Cloud and often these regulations conflict with each other or, worse, dramatically increase cost and complexity.
1:30 a.m.Privacy Regulation in the U.S: Bottom-up vs Top-down approaches
How should the U.S. deal with the issue of regulating user privacy? Should we be focusing on government regulation or should we explore bottom-up solutions such as self-certification? In this panel, we’ll discuss the benefits and costs of both types of approaches with the hopes of igniting a discussion on how to move forward and protect user privacy, while also allowing businesses to grow.
10:45 a.m.