Comments by Croatian IGF on the Report of the UN Secretary General’s High level Panel on Digital Cooperation

I would add here a footnote with Balkin’s seminal work on information fiduciaries (Balkin, J. M. (2015). Information fiduciaries and the first amendment. UCDL Rev., 49, 1183.)

I would suggest the following addition: “The advent of AI in our daily lives creates further limitations for due process, posed by opaque and inscrutable algorithmic processes that have wide applications in the private sector and the public affairs alike ( *1). Automated decision making challenges fundamental human rights in an unprecedented manner and diffuses accountability due to the various levels of interactions between human operators and artificial agents (*2). Human agency and autonomy, both underpinning rationals for seminal human rights, such as privacy and free speech, are massively being redefined in the era of automation.  Enhancing algorithmic accountability should therefore be a key priority for policy-making aiming to create a regulative framework that guarantees fairness and transparency. ”

Footnotes

(*1) Pasquale, F. (2015). The black box society. Harvard University Press.

(*2) Karanasiou, A. P., & Pinotsis, D. A. (2017). A study into the layers of automated decision-making: emergent normative and legal aspects of deep learning. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 31(2), 170-187.

I would suggest the following amendment: “There are also many examples of digital technologies being used or developed in a manner that restricts fundamental human rights and liberties, such as the right to privacy, the right to access to information, and the right to free speech, posing thereby significant threats to societal cohesion, democracy and self-determination.

Link to be included: “Guidelines to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment: https://www.childrens-rights.digital/hintergrund/index.cfm/topic.280/key.1568

The 3rd message agreed upon is the session needs to be added a follows:

Digital literacy is important in all age groups – children themselves, teachers, parents. It is necessary to understand the children’s needs in order to conceptualise in line with their needs and in line with complexity and interests of the digital world. A balanced approach is needed in order to make children more resilient, but the industry and data controllers must be held accountable as well.

To Michael Oghia: We use the term children in the sense of the UN Convention on the Rights of the child meaning young persons up to the age of 18.

This is a message from the YouthDIG brought into the session, the message was adopted slightly different as follows:

We want an algorithm built in a multistakeholder environment: SAPA (Smart Active Participation Algorithm). The purpose of this algorithm is to replace some of the ads we are exposed to while browsing on the Internet with information about youth participation initiatives. SAPA will suggest differentiated opportunities based on the age of the users, in order to empower the engagement of people of all ages towards participation initiatives through the Internet.

We also mentioned the role of self-certification, and the “establishment of global good practice” to which suppliers should live up to.

Open door.

And if you want to keep thi sparagraph, maybe limit it to “Policymakers need to develop long-term strategies to address existing challenges, such as but not limited to, inequalities, the digital divide, and the impact of digitalisation on jobs.”

And at “upcoming/future” challenges. If policymakers only focus on what exists today they will also be running behind!

THis should be the third paragraph