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MusicID 2024 Digital Research Fellowship: Accepting submissions
by Dr Steven Gamble 07 Mar '24

07 Mar '24

Call for Proposals Deadline: April 26, 2024 (23:59 UTC) MusicID is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for our sixth Digital Research Fellowship. The fellowship is awarded to a scholar from any discipline and at any career level with a strong vision to undertake music, cultural, and/or digital humanities research. MusicID is a platform that archives current and historical music industry data into a single, easy-to-use source. Incorporating more than 5,000 charts spanning 74 countries, MusicID provides access to a wealth of music chart data, including from Billboard and the Official Charts Company dating back to 1944, contemporary statistics such as Spotify and Apple Music streams, and Shazam searches. It also offers built-in visualization tools which allow users to create and export customizable tables and graphs. https://musicidhub.com/musicid-digital-research-fellowships The fellowship is designed to support research using data about music charts and streaming statistics. MusicID can be used to explore new topics, provide data-driven insights, and/or corroborate or challenge existing understandings. Proposed studies may adopt historical, cultural, or industry perspectives, for example, and possible research topics include trends in popular music, patterns of consumption, marketing practices, reception histories, or platform conventions. Fellows are encouraged to demonstrate how they will benefit from access to the MusicID platform. You can read former winning proposals here <https://musicidhub.com/musicid-digital-research-fellowships>. The recipient will receive $1,000 and access to the MusicID platform for one year. All other applicants will receive access to the platform for six months. The recipient will be asked to write a brief final report at the end of their fellowship year, describing the research they conducted and their findings. To apply, send an anonymous research plan as a PDF to fellowship(a)academicrightspress.com by 23:59 (UTC) April 26. Applications must be at most one A4 page in length, and written in English. Please include your name and any affiliation in your email, but not on the PDF. Submissions from academics in any kind of employment, independent scholars, and postgraduate students are all encouraged. Applicants from any country are welcome. The recipient will be chosen through a double-blind peer review process and notified in late May, followed shortly by a public announcement. Best regards, Dr. Steven Gamble <http://stevengamble.com/> (he/him) Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Department of Music, University of Bristol <http://www.bristol.ac.uk/music/> Recent publications: Networking Global Hip Hop Knowledges <https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/etm/article-abstract/67/3/430…>, Ethnomusicology 67(3) (journal article, 2023) It's Where You're @: Hip Hop and the Internet <https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/ghhs/2/2>, Global Hip Hop Studies 2(2) (special issue, 2023) Analyzing Hip-Hop Hacktivism and Automobility in Injury Reserve's (2019) “Jailbreak the Tesla” (Feat. Aminé) <https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003089926-4> (book chapter, 2023) Winner, Outstanding Multi-Author Collection Award, Society for Music Theory

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PhD Vacancy - Digital Inclusion and Migration - University of Groningen
by Cigdem Bozdag 07 Mar '24

07 Mar '24

PhD position Digital Inclusion and Migration (1.0 FTE) Job description We are offering a 48-month PhD position (full time, 1.0 FTE) within the project “Migrant generations in the digital society: a multi-level study of socio-cultural factors influencing digital inclusion”. The DigiMig project is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) with a five-year Vidi grant (Principal Investigator: Dr Çigdem Bozdag, University of Groningen). The appointed candidate will develop an expertise in digital inclusion and digital migration research. The project aims to analyze the socio-cultural factors that influence patterns of digital inclusion in culturally diverse societies. DigiMig consists of three empirical sub-projects (SP) that will provide detailed answers focusing on users’ adoption of digital technologies (SP1), the development of public policies and initiatives (SP2), and educational practices (SP3). In addition to the Principal Investigator and the PhD position advertised in this vacancy, the DigiMig team will also feature a postdoc researcher (30 months, 2025-2027). The appointed PhD candidate will be responsible for DigiMig’s sub-project on the adoption of digital technologies (SP1). SP1 will analyse how a migration background influences digital inclusion, focusing on Dutch-Turkish and Dutch-Moroccan families with a migration history. By adopting qualitative methods from ethnographic research, SP1 will examine different levels of digital media use including access, motivation, skills, engagement and outcomes, and explore how these are influenced by individual and socio-cultural factors. SP1 will also analyse the two-way influence in technology use between parents and children by interviewing a parent and child from each family. The fieldwork will take place in Rotterdam and Groningen. Tasks and responsibilities: • carrying out the sub-project described above (doing a scoping review, recruiting participants, conducting interviews and participatory observations, analysing data) • contributing to the successful advancement of DigiMig as a whole • presenting research results at workshops and conferences, and publishing academic articles • conducting a total of 0.4 FTE teaching during the second, third, and fourth year of their appointment • engaging in public outreach and knowledge utilization activities related to the project • participating in regular meetings with the other project team members • assisting the Principal Investigator in communication tasks (e.g. co-managing project website, writing social media/blog posts, organizing workshops/panels) Qualifications • (Research) MA degree in Media Studies, Communication Studies, Cultural Studies or another relevant discipline. • a demonstrable interest in digital inclusion and digital migration research • excellent research skills (as shown, for instance, by the candidate’s MA thesis) and demonstrable interest in conducting fieldwork • excellent command of Dutch and English; proficiency either in Turkish, Tamazight, Arabic or French is also highly desirable • a strong interest in collaborative research and interdisciplinary dialogue • the ability to work independently • enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences. The employment for this position will be full time for 4 years and will be under the Ph.D. conditions of the collective labour agreement (CAO) of Dutch Universities. Organisation Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has established an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative university offering high-quality teaching and research. Its 36.000 students are encouraged to develop their own individual talents through challenging study- and career paths. The University of Groningen is an international centre of knowledge: It belongs to the best research universities in Europe and is allied with prestigious partner universities and networks worldwide. The Faculty of Arts is a large, dynamic faculty in the heart of the city of Groningen. It has more than 5.000 students and 700 staff members, who are working at the frontiers of knowledge every day. The Faculty offers a wide range of degree programmes: 15 Bachelor's programmes and over 35 Master's specialisations. Our research, which is internationally widely acclaimed, covers Archaeology, Cultural Studies, History, International Relations, Language and Literary Studies, Linguistics and Media and Journalism Studies. Conditions of employment In accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, the University of Groningen offers you: ● A salary of € 2.770 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3.539 gross per month in the final year, based on a full-time position ● A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income ● An 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance ● A temporary 1.0 FTE appointment for a specified period of four years. The candidate will first be appointed for twelve months. After six months, an assessment will take place of the candidate’s results and the progress of the PhD project, in order to decide whether employment will be continued. ● The PhD candidate is expected to conduct a total of 0.4 fte teaching spread over the second, third and fourth year of their appointment. ● Excellent work-life balance. ● Willingness to move and reside in the Netherlands. The appointment will commence on 01.09.2024 at the very latest. We allow 3 months from selection in case of VISA applications. You will be enrolled in the Graduate School for the Humanities (GSH) of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen. The GSH offers the organizational infrastructure within which PhD candidates participate in advanced training and supervised research: https://www.rug.nl/research/gradschool-humanities/ You will be carrying out your research in the context of the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG). The prospective starting date is 1 September 2024 Application You may apply for this position until 10 April 2024 11:59pm / Dutch local time (CET) by means of the application form (click on “Apply” below on the advertisement <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…>on the university website) Applications should include: 1. A letter of motivation (max. 1000 words), explaining why you are a suitable candidate for this PhD position. In your letter, please discuss why you find the topic of digital inclusion and migration interesting and how your previous experiences can help you to contribute to this project. More information about the research project can be provided upon request. 2. A curriculum vitae demonstrating your academic excellence, including a list of publications and presentations (if applicable) 3. A proof of writing, such as an academic paper or a chapter from your MA thesis 4. Certified copies of your BA and MA degrees 5. Contact information of two academic referees who are familiar with your work, and whom we may contact directly if we need more information. Applications have to be submitted electronically in PDF format by means of the application form (please merge all documents into one PDF file and upload it as your ‘Letter of motivation’, in the order in which they are listed above). Click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website. Applications that are incomplete or are otherwise faulty will not be taken into account. The selection interviews will take place in the third week of May 2024. The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/>. Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): .https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/sollicitatiecode/ <https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/sollicitatiecode/> and the European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code <https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code> Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated. Information For information you can contact: ● Dr Çigdem Bozdag (for information on the position and the research project), c.bozdag(a)rug.nl <mailto:c.bozdag@rug.nl> ● Lisanne Coolen (for questions regarding the submission procedure), l.coolen(a)rug.nl <mailto:l.coolen@rug.nl> Please do not use the e-mail address(es) above for applications.

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CFP "Big Data Audiences" Special Issue of Convergence (Due: March 31)
by Jennifer Hessler 07 Mar '24

07 Mar '24

Deadline for Abstracts: 31st March 2024 Deadline for Full Papers: 31st July 2024 Expected date of publication: August 2025 *Big Data Audiences* *Special Issue of Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies <https://journals.sagepub.com/home/con>* Guest Editors: Jennifer Hessler (North Carolina State University, US) and Elliot Montpellier (Kwantlen Polytechnic University, CA) Media ecosystems increasingly use big data audience insights to shape their distribution models, content production and curation, and marketing strategies, even while these developments are happening at different paces and with varied cultural and political implications from country to country. Existing scholarship on audience datafication largely takes a media economics approach, focusing on how data is informed by and shapes the actions of media industry stakeholders. This often elides the cultural stakes of audience datafication. Crucially, this issue brings together analysis of institutional structures with insights from critical sociologies of data to grapple how the big datafication of audiences converges with issues of cultural identity and exchange. This issue contends with the way big audience data practices are changing entertainment media ecosystems. Proposals might engage with how the implications of audience datafication are playing out differently in state-run, public, and commercial television systems, or how the increasing reliance on big data audience insights impacts the distribution of capital among creatives. At the same time, the issue engages with how big data is changing the way audiences are imagined and attributed value. Media distributors often spin the addressability afforded by big data as an opportunity to personalize content more effectively for globally diverse viewers. However, proposals might engage with how big data can limit the audience experience, or how the vastly scaled and real-time-actioned ways of addressing audiences also reify the distortions via which racial, gendered, national, and other inequalities manifest. We are especially interested in proposals that focus on the global south, and those that ground data in specific uses or consider data across sites from political, industrial, ethnographic, STS, anticolonial, or other approaches. Possible topics could include, but are not limited to: • How relationships between industry stakeholders are reconfigured via new practices of audience datafication. • The way that policies or funding models shape how audience data is collected or used. • Theoretical treatments of data colonialism, surveillance, and platform capitalism in relation to big data audiences. • The computational methods that are being used to imagine audience communities, or the conceptual frameworks that can be used to understand how big data addresses audiences. • The impacts that big data audience analytics have on national, gendered, LGBTQ, ethnic, linguistic, religious, and other communities.Please send a 500-word abstract and a 100-word bio for each author to the guest editors at *bigdataaudiences.cnmt(a)gmail.com <bigdataaudiences.cnmt(a)gmail.com> by March 31st 2024.* Authors of accepted abstracts will be contacted by the guest editors and will be invited to submit full paper contributions (8000-9000 words) by 31st July 2024, with a target publication date of August 2025. Link to CFP here: https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/con/Final_Big%20Data%20Au…

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WEBCAST MAR 6 – Mapping Humanitarian Tech: exposing protection gaps in digital transformation programmes
by Joly MacFie 06 Mar '24

06 Mar '24

This is under way. REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/48Hhac7 ISOC Live posted: "On Wednesday March 6, 2024, at 11:00-12:00 EST (16:00-17:00 UTC) the Internet Society Washington DC Chapter (ISOC-DC) and the Internet Society New York Chapter (ISOC-NY) present a webinar on Access Now's new report 'Mapping Humanitarian Tech: exposing pro" [image: isoc live] <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=408150112a0107519127e65d…>On *Wednesday March 6, 2024*, at *11:00-12:00 EST* (16:00-17:00 UTC) the *Internet Society Washington DC Chapter <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=e3b616c6b25cff28609e814c…>* (ISOC-DC) and the *Internet Society New York Chapter <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=8d90a4eeffb8d82a816d3581…>* (ISOC-NY) present *a webinar on Access Now's new report 'Mapping Humanitarian Tech: exposing protection gaps in digital transformation programmes <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=e4541feabdee10354a53f0bf…>* '. People experiencing vulnerability as a consequence of conflict and violence often rely on a small group of humanitarian actors, trusted because of their claims of neutrality, impartiality, and independence from the warring parties. They rely on these humanitarian organisations and agencies for subsistence, protection, and access to basic services and information, in the darkest times in their lives. Yet these same actors can expose them to further harm. The report examines the partnerships between humanitarian actors and private corporations, how these often-opaque partnerships impact the digital rights of the affected communities, and offers recommendations for keeping people safe. *LIVESTREAM https://livestream.com/internetsociety/mapping-humanitarian-tech <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=0974e4be74f6d78779be8ec8…>* *PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM https://bit.ly/3P3sXKW <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=5211d040fd4978036e193459…>* *REAL TIME TEXT* (see *ISOC.LIVE <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=408150112a0107519127e65d…>* ) *TWITTER #humanitariantech <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=10493451234a217f65a1443a…> #digitaltransformation @GiulioWolfe @accessnow @isocdc @isocny #techforgood* *MASTODON #humanitariantech <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=c0080c66b488a92cd6c37230…>* *SIMULCASTS* *https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=e7dd356118e0610c111e7373…>* *https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=0ada856ca8eef0ae1989e0b7…>* *https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/ <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=6f87affc16e38a89fb1c7abb…>* *ARCHIVE* *https://archive.org/details/mapping-humanitarian-tech <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=a3ae2dee992de2d14b9211be…>* - -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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Call for contributions: Mapping Data, Tools and Methods of Internet Governance (TIGre project)
by Francesca Musiani 06 Mar '24

06 Mar '24

Dear colleagues, In the frame of the TIGre project ( https://netgouv.hypotheses.org/projet-technologie-internet-et-gouvernance-t… ), a group of researchers from the Centre Internet et Société of CNRS (currently : Julien Rossi, Francesca Musiani, Lucien Castex, Clément Perarnaud, Jonathan Keller, Florian Giraudon) is mapping the arenas of Internet governance, the sources of data concerning them, the methods used to leverage them and the tools used in their collection and analysis. We adopt an "extended" definition of Internet governance, including the study of the socio-political role of both hardware and software infrastructures and of the applications they enable. As examples of what may be included in the mapping, the IETF, the European Union, the ITU, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)... are examples of relevant fora and organizations. The IETF discussion lists are data sources for an aspect of Internet governance: technical standardisation. Tools such as BigBang ha ve been designed to make it easier to collect data from these mailing lists and analyse them, while tools such as Traceroute produce routing data and BGP tables. The European Union's directives and regulations on Internet governance, which are available on EUR-LEX, are also, e.g., sources of data. We are deliberately adopting the broadest possible acception to include a variety of data, archives, documents, etc. We aim to produce a public database available to the research community that will list all these tools, the data sources they mobilize, and the publications that show how they have been used in specific studies. We would be delighted to receive your contributions, ideally, by the end of April. You may contribute via this form : https://enquetes.univ-rennes2.fr/limesurvey/index.php/451869?lang= <https://enquetes.univ-rennes2.fr/limesurvey/index.php/451869?lang=en>en <https://enquetes.univ-rennes2.fr/limesurvey/index.php/451869?lang=en> Thank you very much for your contribution to this collective effort! Kind regards, Julien Rossi, Francesca Musiani, Lucien Castex (project coordinators) Clément Perarnaud, Jonathan Keller, Florian Giraudon -- Francesca Musiani, Ph.D. Chargée de recherche HDR | Associate Research Professor, CNRS <http://www.cnrs.fr> Directrice adjointe | Deputy Director, Centre for Internet and Society <https://cis.cnrs.fr> (UPR 2000 & GDR 2091 CNRS) Chercheuse associée | Associate Researcher, i3-CSI <http://www.csi.ensmp.fr/>, MINES ParisTech Global Fellow, Internet Governance Lab <https://internetgovernancelab.org>, American University I'm involved in projects: IAction <https://prairie-institute.fr/lia-au-service-de-laction-publique-imaginaires…> | SoBigData++ <http://www.sobigdata.eu> | TIGre <https://netgouv.hypotheses.org/projet-technologie-internet-et-gouvernance-t…> I help co-editing: Internet Policy Review <https://policyreview.info> | RESET <https://journals.openedition.org/reset/> I'm an advisor for: ISOC France <https://www.isoc.fr> | ANSSI <https://www.ssi.gouv.fr/agence/rayonnement-scientifique/conseil-scientifiqu…> I'm here on the Web <https://cis.cnrs.fr/francesca-musiani/>, including my publications.

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New MA: Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Sexual Violence
by Jacob Johanssen 05 Mar '24

05 Mar '24

Hello AoIR colleagues, the following new MA may be of interest to your and your students. Thank you for spreading the word. St Mary’s University, Twickenham (SMU) has launched a new masters programme in Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Sexual Violence: Trauma Informed Practice. The programme will partly be delivered by experts working in frontline services and the Bakhita Centre for Research on Slavery, Exploitation and Abuse <https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/research/centres/bakhita/overview.aspx>. The course will also draw on expertise from leading charities and support services in the domestic abuse and stalking sector: - Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service <https://www.paladinservice.co.uk/> - The Cyber Helpline <https://www.thecyberhelpline.com/> - London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames: One Stop Shop service <https://www.richmond.gov.uk/where_to_get_help_for_domestic_abuse> For more information about the programme, please visit: https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/news/2024/st-marys-launches-new-ma-in-domestic-ab… Or contact my colleague Maria Mellins: maria.mellins(a)stmarys.ac.uk

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Call for chapters 'The Handbook of Critical Studies of Artificial Intelligence and Education'
by Pelletier, Caroline 05 Mar '24

05 Mar '24

Dear AOIR community Wayne Holmes and I are co-editing a book called the Handbook of Critical Studies of Artificial Intelligence and Education, due out in 2025. We would very much like contributions from a wide range of fields and disciplines, as we mean 'education' very broadly, to include any social practice involve teaching and learning, including in workplaces, cultural and community centres, higher education, schools, online spaces, and so on. We've called it the handbook of Critical Studies because we are focused on the social, cultural and political implications of AI. We are aiming to offer a different angle to the dominant one in education, which has historically focused on how AI can make existing educational arrangements more efficient. More details and the call for chapters is here: https://www.edtech.ut.ee/csaied/handbook-of-csaied/. These are indicative topics: * How AI is influencing education policy, and vice versa * AI, commercialisation and platformisation in education * How AI is implicated in monitoring and shaping behaviour in education * Conceptions of data and their consequences for education * Prediction and predictive analytics in education * Facial recognition technologies in use in education * AI ethics as lived practice in education * AI and the re-configuration of work in education * AI and the enrolment of new actors in education * AI's impact on definitions of what it means to be educated, to be a student with rights, on educational ethics * The place of AI in educational infrastructures * AI and educational imaginaries * AI and the production of educational subjects and subjectivities * AI and alternative or utopian education * AI, critique, and research in education * The discourses of AI in education * AI and the politics of representation in education * AI and re-configurations of justice in education * AI, colonial and decolonial approaches to education * AI critical literacy and education * How, educationally, we respond to AI hype, AI biases, fake news, and so on The handbook will be published in 2025, as part of the Elgar Handbooks series. Chapters should be approximately 8,000 words, although shorter essays may also be included. There will be approximately 30 chapters with a total word count of around 240,000 words. If you would like to submit a chapter for this handbook, please send a 300-word (plus references) proposal to the editors by 15th March 2024 (critical.ai.ed(a)gmail.com) You are very welcome to contact me in the first instance to discuss any ideas, and also to extend the abstract submission deadline if need be. Many thanks, Dr. Caroline Pelletier Department of Culture, Communication and Media UCL Institute of Education 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL , UK http://ioe.academia.edu/CarolinePelletier

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Tik Tok Researchers in Europe
by Ernesto Oyarbide M. 05 Mar '24

05 Mar '24

Hello. I was trying to learn more about people doing research about Tik Tok in Europe, so as to better understand how the platform might be adapting (or not) to the requirements of the Digital Services Act. So it would be great to learn more about scholars in the field. Please feel free to send names/resources if you know about any. Best, -- - Ernesto Oyarbide-Magaña DPhil in History (University of Oxford) - Linkedin <https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoyarbidem/?originalSubdomain=uk>

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CfP Pre-Conference ECREA 2024
by Kling, Julia 05 Mar '24

05 Mar '24

Dear AoIR community, we (RUSINFORM, https://www.rusinform.uni-passau.de/en/) are announcing a call for papers for the ECREA pre-conference "The Informational Influence of Autocracies Abroad", which will take place in Ljubljana on 23 September, before the main ECREA conference (https://ecrea2024ljubljana.eu/) You can find more information on our website: https://www.rusinform.uni-passau.de/en/ecrea24preconf/ Our pre-conference will examine the external propaganda of authoritarian regimes around the world, including Russia, China, Iran and Turkey, analysing the creators, content, strategies and audiences. It aims to juxtapose historical and contemporary techniques. Proposals of 300-500 words, excluding references, should be submitted to serge.poliakoff(a)uni-passau.de with the subject line "ECREA 2024 Pre-Conference". All proposals should be in English. The deadline for submission of proposals is 3 April 2024. Submitted proposals will be notified of acceptance/rejection by 29 April 2024. There is no pre-conference fee. This is an offline event, so all accepted presenters will be required to present in person. Best regards, Julia Kling Researcher and PhD-Candidate ERC Consolidator Grant Research Group "The Consequences of the Internet for Russia's Informational Influence Abroad" (RUSINFORM) Web: https://www.rusinform.uni-passau.de/en/ Centre for Media and Communication (ZMK) University of Passau Dr.-Hans-Kapfinger-Straße 14c, R. 401 94032 Passau

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Digital civil liberties convening, Spain, May 2024
by Andrew Lowenthal 04 Mar '24

04 Mar '24

Call for participants: Convening of Digital Civil Liberties Activists, Technologists, and Researchers May 6-10, 2024, Catalonia, Spain > Do you think “counter misinformation” efforts have led to censorship of legitimate speech? > Do you think the values of free speech, open inquiry, independence, and civil liberties have been subsumed in pursuit of information controls and social conformity? If so, you are not alone! We want to meet you. You may have worked or are still working for a digital rights or a human rights organisation, or work at the intersection of human rights and technology for an academic institution or media initiative. If you have maintained your original commitment to free speech and open inquiry, but feel the world around you has turned upside down, read on! Interested participants are invited to submit their application by March 17 via this form - https://liber-net.org/url/2024retreat Costs of accommodation and meals are covered for all participants, as are flights for those that need them. What is the issue? We believe that the mainstream digital rights and academic fields have turned against their free expression roots. It has been captured by Western governments and Big Philanthropic organisations, and by an ideology of safetyism, censorship, and paternalism. While ten years ago the field celebrated the democratisation of information, it now fears it. Many academics, NGOs, and foundations now pursue authoritarian solutions to what they label an “infodemic” but is often merely the expression of popular or dissenting ideas. These top-down solutions are masked in a range of seeming virtues – from combating “disinformation” and “bias” to stopping “hate speech”, and protecting “public health.” There is of course disinformation and hate speech, but powerful actors have weaponised these sentiments for their own ends. Over the last several years an alliance of tech corporations, large philanthropic organisations, governments, and NGOs have formed to discourage debate, dialogue, and dissent. Why should you care? Failure to address this capture is already having grave consequences for our fundamental rights and liberties. The [Twitter Files](https://twitterfiles.substack.com/) revealed that [governments colluded with big tech, academics, NGOs and philanthropic organisations](https://www.racket.news/p/report-on-the-censorship-industrial-74b) to enforce speech controls. Meanwhile, UK investigations showed that the military was involved in suppressing [legitimate criticism of government Covid policies](https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/campaigns/ministry-of-truth/). This is just the tip of the iceberg. Who are you? You may have worked or are still working for a digital rights, civil liberties, or human rights organisation, or work at the intersection of human rights and technology for an academic institution or media initiative. Please note that space is strictly limited to 30 people. So, please apply ASAP. The deadline closes on March 17. Costs of accommodation and meals are covered for all participants, as are flights for those that need them. https://liber-net.org/url/2024retreat Your participation will remain private and confidential. We will not publicize your attendance, unless you choose to. Please note that the convening will be held under the Chatham House Rules. Who are we? [liber-net](https://liber-net.org) is a digital civil liberties initiative working to re-establish free speech and civil liberties as the default standard for our networked age. We have spent more than two decades in the digital rights, open technology, and internet freedom fields. Our approach is independent and values-driven, eschewing political tribalism. -- https://networkaffects.substack.com https://twitter.com/naffects https://liber-net.org

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