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International Grand Committee on Disinformation and ‘Fake News’ Dublin, Ireland – Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th November 2019

25 Oct 2019, 11:00

Parliamentarians from ten countries have confirmed attendance at the International Grand Committee (IGC) on Disinformation and ‘Fake News’, which takes place in Leinster House, Dublin on Wednesday, 6th and Thursday, 7th November.

Hildegarde Naughton TD, Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communication, Climate Action and Environment, will chair the meeting.

“The International Grand Committee, which is representative of hundreds of millions of citizens, met in London and Ottawa previously. I am delighted that the third meeting is being hosted in Ireland. We will be joined by parliamentarians from ten other countries including the United States and Australia who are participating for the first time,” Deputy Naughton said.

How to advance international collaboration in the regulation of harmful content, hate speech and electoral interference online is the theme of the meeting. At the end of the deliberations, the IGC intends to agree a set of principles to underpin international collaboration in tackling these issues while at the same time respecting freedom of speech.

Deputy Naughton said: “It’s significant that this meeting is being held in Dublin which is home to the European headquarters of social media giants; Google, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Social media has created a connected, online global community but concerns around fake news, transparency in political advertising, the protection of young people and vulnerable adults from harmful content and online privacy and security are intensifying.

“The International Grand Committee brings together international parliamentarians with a particular responsibility in this area. Together, we hope that this significant meeting in Dublin will lead to the creation of a roadmap to ensure a safer and more secure online experience for everyone.”

Parliamentarians will be welcomed to Leinster House for a preliminary one hour private meeting of the International Grand Committee in Committee Room 2 at 6pm on the 6 November.

A full day meeting will take place in the Seanad Chamber on Thursday, 7 November

Speakers on the day include Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon, UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham and award winning journalist and 2019 Pulitzer prize nominee Carole Cadwalladr.

Representatives of social media companies Facebook, Youtube EMEA, Google and Twitter will all make presentations during the meeting before questions are put to them by IGC Members.

There are five distinct sessions throughout the day from 9am to 6pm which are:

  • The Evidence. What does the evidence on online harms, hate speech and electoral interference tell us about the nature of the problem? What most urgently needs to be addressed?
  • Industry perspective. How can industry be a part of the solution?
  • The state of play in regulation. What are relevant existing regulatory structures, how will they change and what legislative proposals are pending.
  • International collaboration. How can national parliaments come together on the issue of regulation.
  • Deliberation.

Deputy Naughton is joined on the IGC by her Oireachtas Communications Committee colleagues; Deputies James Lawless and Eamon Ryan.

 

They will be joined by 15 parliamentarians from Argentina, Finland, Georgia, Singapore, USA, Estonia, France, Australia, United Kingdom and Sweden.                                                            

Each expert witness at Thursday’s meeting will make a short opening statement. This will be followed by a Questions and Answer session.

The full agenda can be viewed here

NOTE:
Parliamentarians attending are: Leopoldo Moreau, (Argentina, Chair, Freedom of Expression Commission, Chamber of Deputies); Tom Packalén, MP (Finland); Nino Goguadze, (Georgia, Chair of Foreign Relations Committee); Dr Janil Puthucheary,  (Singapore, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information); Amrin Amin, (Singapore, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs); Congressman David N. Cicilline, (USA Chairman of Sub-Committee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law, House of Representatives); Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, MP, (Estonia, Vice-Chairwoman, Reform Party); Catherine Morin-Desailly,  (France, Chair of Senate Culture and Education Committee); Milton Dick MP (Australia); Senator Carol Brown (Australia); Damien Collins MP, (UK, Chair of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee); Ian Lucas MP, (UK, Member of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee); Jo Stevens MP, (UK, Member of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee); Lord David Puttnam, (UK, Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee for Democracy and Digital Technology);  Momodou Malcolm Jallow, (Sweden, Member of the Riksdag, Left Party).

 

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