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# IGF 2018 WS #311 Has it become a luxury to disconnect?

Format:

Round Table - 60 Min

Theme:

Cybersecurity, Trust and Privacy

Subtheme:

DATA PRIVACY & PROTECTION

Organizer 1: Cathleen Berger, Mozilla

Speaker 1: Mishi Choudhary, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Ephraim Percy Kenyanito, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 3: Julia Kloiber, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Cathleen Berger, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Additional Speakers:

Shashank Mohan, SFLC

Relevance:

Discussions and policies in recent years have focused on increasing connectivity, particularly in the Global South -- and have made progress, if not yet to the extent many have hoped for and the SDGs called for. The continued push for meaningful access comes against the background of a new digital divide: the one where protecting your privacy comes at significant economic cost. While privacy is a fundamental human right, technological developments such as smart cities, smart homes and other connected devices, or digital ID initiatives all seem to raise the bar -- and the economic cost -- of being able to disconnect, to go off the grid, to choose an “offline vacation” or simply to afford devices that grant you better controls and security settings. In a journey across the world, this roundtable invites participants to share their stories and perceptions about the economics of privacy. Who can still afford better protection? Which initiatives undermine people’s ability to opt-out and where is coercion creeping into our daily lives?

Session Content:

The session will be moderated by Cathleen Berger, who has been researching the phenomenon of “luxury to disconnect” for over a year now, running multiple sessions at events across all regions to gather input and perspectives; the IGF is a fabulous platform to expand this conversation and reach a critical audience if we want to see policy change in the future. Shashank Mohan will talk about India’s Aadhaar project but also share other stories he has encountered in his extensive efforts to protect privacy for everyone. Ephraim Kenyanito will share his experiences from Kenya looking into digital government initiatives but also a deeply rooted sense of human dignity, which is only possible when people remain free to enjoy privacy. Solana Larsen will share personal experience of parenting in the digital age, consider income in relation to excessive technolgy use, and discuss how social norms and perceptions change over time. Since the session is designed as conversation, all participants, including remotees, will be warmly invited to share their perspectives. The moderator will make sure that discussants keep their insights tight and to the point in an effort to shed light on this new dimension of digital divides.

Interventions:

Speakers will be invited to each set the scene from their particular regional and personal perspective, each of them focusing on the economic aspect of protecting our privacy in the digital age. The moderator will make sure they stick to the time limits and also invite all other participants to join in the conversation, while ensuring that the conversation is moving forward, generating insights for everyone present.

Diversity:

We aim to have speakers from all regions, so far Asia, Africa, Europe are confirmed, speakers from the Americas will be invited to (still waiting for confirmation from the American speakers re their attendance). At the moment we have 2 female and 2 male speakers, 3 from civil society and 1 from private sector. We also invited government representatives to join our session.

Online Participation:

We'll monitor any incoming questions and comments from remote participants via Discourse and also keep an eye on Twitter in case people choose to send comments via that platform, our online moderator will have a separate microphone and make sure that interventions are included equally.

Discussion Facilitation:

Our moderator is an experienced speaker and facilitator, she will make sure interventions are timely and focused and nudge the audience back to the topic of the discussion, if necessary.

Onsite Moderator:

Cathleen Berger

Online Moderator:

Jairus Khan

Rapporteur:

Jairus Khan

Reference Document: http://www.dw.com/en/privacy-is-not-dead-but-its-going-to-cost-you/a-42902981

Agenda:

Welcome, setting the scene and introduction of speakers (5min)

4 speakers, each will share their story for about 5min (20min)

Exchange between panel on implications of luxury to disconnect from their region (20min)

Q&A with audience (10min)

Concluding remarks from each panelist (5min)

Session Time:
Monday, 12 November, 2018 - 12:30 to 13:30
Room:
Salle IX

## Archived Content

- 2017 IGF: Geneva
- 2016 IGF: Jalisco
- 2015 IGF: João Pessoa
- 2014 IGF: Istanbul
- 2013 IGF: Bali
- 2012 IGF: Baku
- 2011 IGF: Nairobi
- 2010 IGF: Vilnius
- 2009 IGF: Sharm El Sheikh
- 2008 IGF: Hyderabad
- 2007 IGF: Rio de Janeiro
- 2006 IGF: Athens

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## Contact Information

United Nations
Secretariat of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

Villa Le Bocage
Palais des Nations,
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

igf [at] un [dot] org
+41 (0) 229 173 678