RNW Media Tackles Digital Rights at RightsCon in Costa Rica

The RNW Media team was at the RightsCon summit taking place June 5-8, a uniquely civil society-led space tackling human rights in the digital era.

The convening of tech companies, government officials, and activists in such a space is crucial for building an ecosystem where digital rights are safeguarded. Safe, inclusive, and reliable digital spaces can serve to help young people make the best decisions and gives them the means to fight for their rights. 

The unequal power dynamics that come into play when advancing digital rights was clear, with the conference being a microcosm; 300 people were unable to attend due to visa restrictions or were denied entry by the Costa Rican government. As Global South passport holders can face global mobility limitations, this can leave out voices on pertinent issues from decision-making spaces.  

At RightsCon, RNW Media hosted a session tackling automatic content curation as contributing to disinformation, with a particular focus on sexual health and reproductive rights related information. Factual, impartial information can constitute a lifeline for many – whilst algorithmic content creation monetises misogyny. Digital Rights Expert Marwa Azelmat moderated the session, entitled “Algorithmic content curation’s impact on health information: what is at stake?” alongside Mazuba Haanyama (Meta’s AMET Public Policy), Lucina Di Meco (She Persisted), Abdo Hassan (IKEA), and Feriel Menouar (Salamat Algeria).  

Here are some of our team’s key takeaways from the conference, tackling Big Tech accountability, educating young people about AI, how geopolitics impacts tech regulations and policies, and much more!