El objetivo de esta publicación es divulgar el resultado de trabajos de investigación realizados ... more El objetivo de esta publicación es divulgar el resultado de trabajos de investigación realizados por investigadores de la CAF e investigadores auspiciados por el Programa de Apoyo a la Investigación o por otros programas de la Corporación. Perspectivas busca acercar al sector académico al debate de las políticas públicas en la región, por lo que cuenta con la colaboración de actores de los sectores público, privado y académico de los países de la región, quienes participan en la discusión de los trabajos y los acercan a los problemas de la misma.
This is an investigation into organizational motivations for participation in a multi-stakeholder... more This is an investigation into organizational motivations for participation in a multi-stakeholder initiative to protect online privacy and freedom of expression and the factors that shaped the policies it produced. The research seeks to better understand emerging approaches to the governance challenges of an increasingly interconnected and technologically enabled world. The Global Network Initiative (GNI) was launched in 2008 and consisted of internet and communications technology companies, non-governmental organizations, investors, and academics. There had been more than a decade of explosive growth these technologies and governments were both enthusiastic and eager to exert control over them. Regulatory environments were characterized by uncertain and often ineffective legal regimes governing expression and privacy, and companies found themselves torn by conflicts among laws, policies, practices, markets, and human rights standards. In practice, companies needed to determine how to anticipate and respond to government requests to limit content or provide access to personal data. The coalition aimed develop a more immediate, adaptable, and systematic approach to encouraging and supporting responsible corporate behavior-and better human rights outcomes-regarding online privacy and expression. The perceived relationship to legislation varied from complement to substitute, precursor to regulatory avoidance. Government attempts to control public access to information and to gain government access to private information have long raised concerns. The issues are exacerbated by a host of legal uncertainties around internet and related new media technologies, and a
interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 high-level private, public, academic and non-p... more interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 high-level private, public, academic and non-profit sector leaders from around the world to discuss the development and impact of regional e-commerce initiatives. Three pioneers in this arena
An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather... more An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather forecasts and information on farming techniques must include tailored content, given the diversity of crops grown and methods employed throughout the region. We recommend a local content creation mechanism, facilitating farmer access to agricultural expertise via simple voice or text communications, or a more robust web-based application. Deficiencies in the current state-provided healthcare infrastructure may limit the initial impact of IT within local Public Health Centers (PHCs). Instead, we suggest a health care application that delivers information and services to villagers directly through community centers. Based on villager awareness levels and needs, we recommend a government services application that would enable villagers to access information on relevant government programs and initiate online requests for necessary government documents. While applications to facilitate education (particularly adult learning) may be useful, there appear to be significant implementation barriers at the school level. The motivation for these proposed applications stems from several regional attributes, inferred from local economic data and extensive interviews with villagers, school representatives, health workers and NGO staff members: Ø Many if not most villages exhibit segregation along religious and/or caste lines. Ø While some data is readily available and disseminated (e.g., prices of heavily traded goods), other potentially critical pieces of information are not easily accessible to villagers (e.g., livestock prices, agricultural advice, government programs). Ø A majority of all economic activity either directly or indirectly involves agriculture, and much of a typical villager's social activity relates to agriculture. Ø A majority of laborers are without a regular source of employment-unemployment is extremely cyclical, reaching high levels during the agricultural off-season.
This is an investigation into organizational motivations for participation in a multi-stakeholder... more This is an investigation into organizational motivations for participation in a multi-stakeholder initiative to protect online privacy and freedom of expression and the factors that shaped the policies it produced. The research seeks to better understand emerging approaches to the governance challenges of an increasingly interconnected and technologically enabled world. The Global Network Initiative (GNI) was launched in 2008 and consisted of internet and communications technology companies, non-governmental organizations, investors, and academics. There had been more than a decade of explosive growth these technologies and governments were both enthusiastic and eager to exert control over them. Regulatory environments were characterized by uncertain and often ineffective legal regimes governing expression and privacy, and companies found themselves torn by conflicts among laws, policies, practices, markets, and human rights standards. In practice, companies needed to determine how to anticipate and respond to government requests to limit content or provide access to personal data. The coalition aimed develop a more immediate, adaptable, and systematic approach to encouraging and supporting responsible corporate behavior-and better human rights outcomes-regarding online privacy and expression. The perceived relationship to legislation varied from complement to substitute, precursor to regulatory avoidance. Government attempts to control public access to information and to gain government access to private information have long raised concerns. The issues are exacerbated by a host of legal uncertainties around internet and related new media technologies, and a
Microsoft recently added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing debate regarding the filtering ... more Microsoft recently added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing debate regarding the filtering and censorship practices of U.S. search engines via its own search engine, Bing. ONI testing reveals liberal filtering by Bing in one of the most censored regions in the world: the Arab countries. Microsoft’s Bing, which tailors its search engine to serve different countries and regions and offers its services in 41 languages, has a filtering system at the keyword level for users in several countries. Users in the Arab countries—or, as termed by Microsoft—“Arabian countries”—are prevented from conducting certain search queries in both English and Arabic. ONI testing reveals that Microsoft filters Arabic and English keywords that could yield sex- or LGBT-related images and content.
Ce texte est la conclusion du document "Peacebuilding in the Information Age: Sifting hype f... more Ce texte est la conclusion du document "Peacebuilding in the Information Age: Sifting hype from reality". 6 principales conclusions sont exposees sur le sujet du document, c'est a dire l'utilisation des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (TIC) pour la gestion, la diffusion et l'acces a l'information au niveau de l'aide humanitaire, de la gestion des crises et du maintien et de la consolidation de la paix.
This event was made possible by a grant to TASCHA from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed... more This event was made possible by a grant to TASCHA from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at strengthening the global library field. We are grateful to Doug Parry for his editing and co-writing, and Karen Hirst for her formatting. Thank you.
expression and privacy into both business practice and corporate culture. For its part, in 2008, ... more expression and privacy into both business practice and corporate culture. For its part, in 2008, Yahoo! created the Business and Human Rights Program, supported by corporate leadership, guided by principles and internal process, staffed by cross-functional teams, tracking an inventory of rights issues, informed by stakeholder engagement, and subject to outside monitoring and accountability. 6 These internal developments are complemented, informed, and reinforced by Yahoo!'s participation in the GNI. From recent postelection violence in Kenya and Moldova facilitated by mobile devices to vibrant online expression in Vietnam, ongoing battles over culturally sensitive (and legally prohibited) imagery online in Turkey and Thailand, and the record proportion of online journalists detained worldwide in 2008, digital tools are associated with voice and power, and governments realize it. Whether as part of the normal sociopolitical milieu or in a moment of crisis, they are increasingly aware not only of the power of new media, but also of the role of private companies in providing-and potentially limiting-that power. Governments also seem to be more cognizant of the unique characteristics of the Net as compared to traditional media, not only in terms of how these traits might allow it to threaten the status quo, but also where associated weaknesses can lie. However mistakenly, many people have come to understand this vulnerability of information and communication technologies (ICT) companies to government interference as the China Problem, owing in large measure to publicized instances in which Microsoft, Yahoo!, and Google have failed to adequately protect their users' rights to freedom of expression and privacy. Unfortunately, similar challenges are emerging around the world, oftentimes at the hands of democratic governments, and not only in the Global South, but also in the West. 7 In response to these tensions and understanding the complexity of resolving them, a group of companies, civil society organizations, investors, and academics spent over two years creating a collaborative approach to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy in the ICT sector, and formed an initiative to take this work forward. Proposed by my colleagues John Palfrey and Jonathan Zittrain in the book Access Denied and elsewhere, 8 the GNI released foundational documents in October 2008 and publicly launched in December 2008 on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The group includes Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo!, along with numerous noncompany participants, such as Human Rights Watch, Human Rights in China, Committee to Project Journalists, Human Rights First, Calvert Investments, Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, where I work. The process has been rewarding and challenging, seeking to move beyond mistrust, hostility, and competition, drawing upon human rights experiences in sectors as far afield as labor and security, and balancing the perspectives and needs of the diverse participants. It began as three separate processes, driven respectively by companies,
Information Technologies and International Development, 2004
Downloads: (external link) http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1162/1544752043557431 l... more Downloads: (external link) http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1162/1544752043557431 link to full text (text/html) Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. ... Related works: This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather... more An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather forecasts and information on farming techniques must include tailored content, given the diversity of crops grown and methods employed throughout the region. We recommend a local content creation mechanism, facilitating farmer access to agricultural expertise via simple voice or text communications, or a more robust web-based application. Deficiencies in the current state-provided healthcare infrastructure may limit the initial impact of IT within local Public Health Centers (PHCs). Instead, we suggest a health care application that delivers information and services to villagers directly through community centers. Based on villager awareness levels and needs, we recommend a government services application that would enable villagers to access information on relevant government programs and initiate online requests for necessary government documents. While applications to facilitate education (particularly adult learning) may be useful, there appear to be significant implementation barriers at the school level. The motivation for these proposed applications stems from several regional attributes, inferred from local economic data and extensive interviews with villagers, school representatives, health workers and NGO staff members: Ø Many if not most villages exhibit segregation along religious and/or caste lines. Ø While some data is readily available and disseminated (e.g., prices of heavily traded goods), other potentially critical pieces of information are not easily accessible to villagers (e.g., livestock prices, agricultural advice, government programs). Ø A majority of all economic activity either directly or indirectly involves agriculture, and much of a typical villager's social activity relates to agriculture. Ø A majority of laborers are without a regular source of employment-unemployment is extremely cyclical, reaching high levels during the agricultural off-season.
During the months of May and June of 2002, interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 hig... more During the months of May and June of 2002, interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 high-level private, public, academic and non-profit sector leaders from around the world to discuss the development and impact of regional e-commerce initiatives. Three pioneers in this arena were analyzed: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the European Union (EU). The motivation, objectives, design, structure and implementation of their respective e-commerce programs were explored, with an eye toward uncovering the visible and invisible challenges and opportunities. This paper presents a set of high-level principles which guided and influenced these initiatives and that can serve as a reference for other organizations considering regional e-commerce needs.
Information Technologies Group, Center …, Jan 1, 2001
Information technology (IT) offers great opportunities for economic and social development in Tam... more Information technology (IT) offers great opportunities for economic and social development in Tamil Nadu; but in order to realize the full promise of these powerful new technologies, the government must leverage its initial successes in business environment and education while broadening the scope of IT benefits throughout society. The numerous government-sponsored projects in process must be seen to fruition, and built upon with additional imaginative and integrated policies that cut across government, commerce, education, health and society at large. Business, academia and government all play essential roles in the state's success, but only by setting common goals and working together (in Internet Time, no less) will Tamil Nadu achieve the sort of growth of which it is capable.
El objetivo de esta publicación es divulgar el resultado de trabajos de investigación realizados ... more El objetivo de esta publicación es divulgar el resultado de trabajos de investigación realizados por investigadores de la CAF e investigadores auspiciados por el Programa de Apoyo a la Investigación o por otros programas de la Corporación. Perspectivas busca acercar al sector académico al debate de las políticas públicas en la región, por lo que cuenta con la colaboración de actores de los sectores público, privado y académico de los países de la región, quienes participan en la discusión de los trabajos y los acercan a los problemas de la misma.
This is an investigation into organizational motivations for participation in a multi-stakeholder... more This is an investigation into organizational motivations for participation in a multi-stakeholder initiative to protect online privacy and freedom of expression and the factors that shaped the policies it produced. The research seeks to better understand emerging approaches to the governance challenges of an increasingly interconnected and technologically enabled world. The Global Network Initiative (GNI) was launched in 2008 and consisted of internet and communications technology companies, non-governmental organizations, investors, and academics. There had been more than a decade of explosive growth these technologies and governments were both enthusiastic and eager to exert control over them. Regulatory environments were characterized by uncertain and often ineffective legal regimes governing expression and privacy, and companies found themselves torn by conflicts among laws, policies, practices, markets, and human rights standards. In practice, companies needed to determine how to anticipate and respond to government requests to limit content or provide access to personal data. The coalition aimed develop a more immediate, adaptable, and systematic approach to encouraging and supporting responsible corporate behavior-and better human rights outcomes-regarding online privacy and expression. The perceived relationship to legislation varied from complement to substitute, precursor to regulatory avoidance. Government attempts to control public access to information and to gain government access to private information have long raised concerns. The issues are exacerbated by a host of legal uncertainties around internet and related new media technologies, and a
interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 high-level private, public, academic and non-p... more interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 high-level private, public, academic and non-profit sector leaders from around the world to discuss the development and impact of regional e-commerce initiatives. Three pioneers in this arena
An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather... more An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather forecasts and information on farming techniques must include tailored content, given the diversity of crops grown and methods employed throughout the region. We recommend a local content creation mechanism, facilitating farmer access to agricultural expertise via simple voice or text communications, or a more robust web-based application. Deficiencies in the current state-provided healthcare infrastructure may limit the initial impact of IT within local Public Health Centers (PHCs). Instead, we suggest a health care application that delivers information and services to villagers directly through community centers. Based on villager awareness levels and needs, we recommend a government services application that would enable villagers to access information on relevant government programs and initiate online requests for necessary government documents. While applications to facilitate education (particularly adult learning) may be useful, there appear to be significant implementation barriers at the school level. The motivation for these proposed applications stems from several regional attributes, inferred from local economic data and extensive interviews with villagers, school representatives, health workers and NGO staff members: Ø Many if not most villages exhibit segregation along religious and/or caste lines. Ø While some data is readily available and disseminated (e.g., prices of heavily traded goods), other potentially critical pieces of information are not easily accessible to villagers (e.g., livestock prices, agricultural advice, government programs). Ø A majority of all economic activity either directly or indirectly involves agriculture, and much of a typical villager's social activity relates to agriculture. Ø A majority of laborers are without a regular source of employment-unemployment is extremely cyclical, reaching high levels during the agricultural off-season.
This is an investigation into organizational motivations for participation in a multi-stakeholder... more This is an investigation into organizational motivations for participation in a multi-stakeholder initiative to protect online privacy and freedom of expression and the factors that shaped the policies it produced. The research seeks to better understand emerging approaches to the governance challenges of an increasingly interconnected and technologically enabled world. The Global Network Initiative (GNI) was launched in 2008 and consisted of internet and communications technology companies, non-governmental organizations, investors, and academics. There had been more than a decade of explosive growth these technologies and governments were both enthusiastic and eager to exert control over them. Regulatory environments were characterized by uncertain and often ineffective legal regimes governing expression and privacy, and companies found themselves torn by conflicts among laws, policies, practices, markets, and human rights standards. In practice, companies needed to determine how to anticipate and respond to government requests to limit content or provide access to personal data. The coalition aimed develop a more immediate, adaptable, and systematic approach to encouraging and supporting responsible corporate behavior-and better human rights outcomes-regarding online privacy and expression. The perceived relationship to legislation varied from complement to substitute, precursor to regulatory avoidance. Government attempts to control public access to information and to gain government access to private information have long raised concerns. The issues are exacerbated by a host of legal uncertainties around internet and related new media technologies, and a
Microsoft recently added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing debate regarding the filtering ... more Microsoft recently added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing debate regarding the filtering and censorship practices of U.S. search engines via its own search engine, Bing. ONI testing reveals liberal filtering by Bing in one of the most censored regions in the world: the Arab countries. Microsoft’s Bing, which tailors its search engine to serve different countries and regions and offers its services in 41 languages, has a filtering system at the keyword level for users in several countries. Users in the Arab countries—or, as termed by Microsoft—“Arabian countries”—are prevented from conducting certain search queries in both English and Arabic. ONI testing reveals that Microsoft filters Arabic and English keywords that could yield sex- or LGBT-related images and content.
Ce texte est la conclusion du document "Peacebuilding in the Information Age: Sifting hype f... more Ce texte est la conclusion du document "Peacebuilding in the Information Age: Sifting hype from reality". 6 principales conclusions sont exposees sur le sujet du document, c'est a dire l'utilisation des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (TIC) pour la gestion, la diffusion et l'acces a l'information au niveau de l'aide humanitaire, de la gestion des crises et du maintien et de la consolidation de la paix.
This event was made possible by a grant to TASCHA from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed... more This event was made possible by a grant to TASCHA from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at strengthening the global library field. We are grateful to Doug Parry for his editing and co-writing, and Karen Hirst for her formatting. Thank you.
expression and privacy into both business practice and corporate culture. For its part, in 2008, ... more expression and privacy into both business practice and corporate culture. For its part, in 2008, Yahoo! created the Business and Human Rights Program, supported by corporate leadership, guided by principles and internal process, staffed by cross-functional teams, tracking an inventory of rights issues, informed by stakeholder engagement, and subject to outside monitoring and accountability. 6 These internal developments are complemented, informed, and reinforced by Yahoo!'s participation in the GNI. From recent postelection violence in Kenya and Moldova facilitated by mobile devices to vibrant online expression in Vietnam, ongoing battles over culturally sensitive (and legally prohibited) imagery online in Turkey and Thailand, and the record proportion of online journalists detained worldwide in 2008, digital tools are associated with voice and power, and governments realize it. Whether as part of the normal sociopolitical milieu or in a moment of crisis, they are increasingly aware not only of the power of new media, but also of the role of private companies in providing-and potentially limiting-that power. Governments also seem to be more cognizant of the unique characteristics of the Net as compared to traditional media, not only in terms of how these traits might allow it to threaten the status quo, but also where associated weaknesses can lie. However mistakenly, many people have come to understand this vulnerability of information and communication technologies (ICT) companies to government interference as the China Problem, owing in large measure to publicized instances in which Microsoft, Yahoo!, and Google have failed to adequately protect their users' rights to freedom of expression and privacy. Unfortunately, similar challenges are emerging around the world, oftentimes at the hands of democratic governments, and not only in the Global South, but also in the West. 7 In response to these tensions and understanding the complexity of resolving them, a group of companies, civil society organizations, investors, and academics spent over two years creating a collaborative approach to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy in the ICT sector, and formed an initiative to take this work forward. Proposed by my colleagues John Palfrey and Jonathan Zittrain in the book Access Denied and elsewhere, 8 the GNI released foundational documents in October 2008 and publicly launched in December 2008 on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The group includes Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo!, along with numerous noncompany participants, such as Human Rights Watch, Human Rights in China, Committee to Project Journalists, Human Rights First, Calvert Investments, Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, where I work. The process has been rewarding and challenging, seeking to move beyond mistrust, hostility, and competition, drawing upon human rights experiences in sectors as far afield as labor and security, and balancing the perspectives and needs of the diverse participants. It began as three separate processes, driven respectively by companies,
Information Technologies and International Development, 2004
Downloads: (external link) http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1162/1544752043557431 l... more Downloads: (external link) http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1162/1544752043557431 link to full text (text/html) Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. ... Related works: This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather... more An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather forecasts and information on farming techniques must include tailored content, given the diversity of crops grown and methods employed throughout the region. We recommend a local content creation mechanism, facilitating farmer access to agricultural expertise via simple voice or text communications, or a more robust web-based application. Deficiencies in the current state-provided healthcare infrastructure may limit the initial impact of IT within local Public Health Centers (PHCs). Instead, we suggest a health care application that delivers information and services to villagers directly through community centers. Based on villager awareness levels and needs, we recommend a government services application that would enable villagers to access information on relevant government programs and initiate online requests for necessary government documents. While applications to facilitate education (particularly adult learning) may be useful, there appear to be significant implementation barriers at the school level. The motivation for these proposed applications stems from several regional attributes, inferred from local economic data and extensive interviews with villagers, school representatives, health workers and NGO staff members: Ø Many if not most villages exhibit segregation along religious and/or caste lines. Ø While some data is readily available and disseminated (e.g., prices of heavily traded goods), other potentially critical pieces of information are not easily accessible to villagers (e.g., livestock prices, agricultural advice, government programs). Ø A majority of all economic activity either directly or indirectly involves agriculture, and much of a typical villager's social activity relates to agriculture. Ø A majority of laborers are without a regular source of employment-unemployment is extremely cyclical, reaching high levels during the agricultural off-season.
During the months of May and June of 2002, interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 hig... more During the months of May and June of 2002, interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 high-level private, public, academic and non-profit sector leaders from around the world to discuss the development and impact of regional e-commerce initiatives. Three pioneers in this arena were analyzed: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the European Union (EU). The motivation, objectives, design, structure and implementation of their respective e-commerce programs were explored, with an eye toward uncovering the visible and invisible challenges and opportunities. This paper presents a set of high-level principles which guided and influenced these initiatives and that can serve as a reference for other organizations considering regional e-commerce needs.
Information Technologies Group, Center …, Jan 1, 2001
Information technology (IT) offers great opportunities for economic and social development in Tam... more Information technology (IT) offers great opportunities for economic and social development in Tamil Nadu; but in order to realize the full promise of these powerful new technologies, the government must leverage its initial successes in business environment and education while broadening the scope of IT benefits throughout society. The numerous government-sponsored projects in process must be seen to fruition, and built upon with additional imaginative and integrated policies that cut across government, commerce, education, health and society at large. Business, academia and government all play essential roles in the state's success, but only by setting common goals and working together (in Internet Time, no less) will Tamil Nadu achieve the sort of growth of which it is capable.
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