On 19-20 January 2015, the VOX-Pol network is organising a workshop in Brussels on the ethics and politics of the day-to-day monitoring of the Net for material promoting violent extremism — by police, intelligence agencies, the Internet industry, and private groups and individuals. It will be a fully participative event, with short keynotes from leading experts followed by intensive debate and discussion, and including stakeholders from civil society, technology companies, and law enforcement agencies.
We already have 15 confirmed participants from law enforcement, civil society and industry. Academic researchers that wish to participate should submit by e-mail an extended abstract of 1-2 pages on their proposed short contributions, which will be reviewed by members of the VOX-Pol network. Travel grants are available for successful applicants, who will be asked to make a short presentation on their work during the workshop.
The workshop is open to perspectives from any academic discipline, including communications, computer science, cultural studies, information science, international relations, internet studies, law, media studies, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology.
TOPICS
VOX-Pol welcomes submissions in the following areas:
• Impact, legitimacy and effectiveness of monitoring “extremist” material and communications
• Methods and mechanisms, guidelines and best practice for monitoring programmes
• The role of trust, insights and confidence on the use of Open Source/Social Media Intelligence, including in relation to the identification of violent extremism
• Oversight mechanisms for private Internet monitoring, such as public law and transparency reporting
• Definitions of violent extremism and radicalisation, and the implications for Internet monitoring. If/when/how do societies draw the line between (legitimate/lawful) free
speech/expression and (unacceptable) extremist content?
• The relationship between monitoring and blocking/take down – who decides, is there recourse etc.
• Discrimination and differential impacts on “suspect” communities
• Ethics and efficacy of counter-extremist analytical tools
• Protecting the rule of law and individual liberty
• The impacts of national/EU/international strategies and policies, and international cooperation
Extended abstracts up to two A4 pages should be submitted to workshop@voxpol.eu by 30 November 2014. Successful submitters will be notified by 5 December 2014. A report will be published following the event by the Oxford Internet Institute, and will include updated extended abstracts.
TRAVEL FUNDING
Funding is available to reimburse the costs of a number of participants, to include one night’s hotel accommodation up to €90 (special rate available to participants) and transportation (incl. economy class flight, second class train, public transportation to/from airports). Meals will be provided throughout the event.
For workshop-related queries, please e-mail workshop@voxpol.eu
Call for extended abstracts: Workshop on the ethics and politics of online monitoring of violent extremism (January 19-20, 2015, Brussels)
