Online Disinformation and Democratic Processes in the European Union

Fake news, hate speech and (foreign?) disinformation operations are not forgotten, nor are the devastating effects of the Cambridge Analytica and other IT-supported targeting practices on elections or referenda. Against the backdrop of computational propaganda, digital voter manipulation and nefarious disinformation online, we might be worrying about upcoming elections and the future of democracy.
Some say that “this is our new normal”1, others talk about a “war on fake news”. Can we accept, or what can be done about it? Are artificial intelligence and fact-checking decisive manoeuvres to contain online disinformation, or have politicians put too much trust in ‘Big Tech’ already?
With the European Parliamentary elections on the horizon, the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society and the Centre international de formation européenne are delighted to invite you to a public panel discussion with distinguished representatives of Facebook and Google talking with renowned representatives of civil society and European Institutions about:
Fake News, Online disinformation and democratic processes in Europe
Friday, 11 January 2019 | 6 pm (admission at 5.30 pm)
Humboldt Institute of Internet and Society, Französische Straße 9, 10117 Berlin
Program
5.30 pm  Doors of HIIG open – refreshments
18.00  Welcome and introduction by Ingolf Pernice, Director at HIIG
18.15  Panel discussion moderated by Dr. Julia Pohle Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB)

  • Lutz Mache (Public Policy and Government Relations Senior Analyst bei Google)
  • Semjon Rens (Public Policy Manager bei Facebook, Berlin)
  • Ann Cathrin Riedel (Chairwoman LOAD e.V. – Verein für liberale Netzpolitik, Berlin)
  • Allegra Pochtler (Head of Business Developement – TraceMap)

19.30  Conclusions
Registration for this event is requested by sending an email to: decide@hiig.de
1. Katie Harbath, director of global politics and government outreach, Facebook
 
Photo: Loozrboy CC-by-SA-2.0
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