"Hacking Democracy": Power and Propaganda in the Digital Age (en)

Garry Kasparov, Claudio Guarnieri, Geraldine de Bastion With this
session, we aim to facilitate an informed and
well-tempered debate that moves towards a better understanding
of cyberwarfare, as well as other interferences within
political processes – in doing this, we will highlight the
multitude of new and troubling forms of “Hacking Democracy”
that are by far not limited to the digital realm. Garry Kasparov
(13th World Chess Champion, Oxford Martin Fellow, fierce
tweep, Chairman for the Human Rights Foundation), and Avast
Security Ambassador, and Claudio Guarnieri (Security
Researcher with Citizen Lab, fierce tweep, Senior Technologist
with Amnesty Technology and Security without Borders) will
discuss the digital impact on human rights and fundamental
values, and what can be done to keep up with these threats and
the web of trade-offs that can endanger privacy,
individual freedoms and overall security (though security is a
complicated concept in itself). This session will not be limited to
debating an individual state’s role: as a Soviet citizen and a
pro-democracy leader in Russia, Garry Kasparov has seen, up
close, how governments use and misuse the control
of information. Claudio Guarnieri extensively researched and
reported human rights violations in the digital realm in many
countries, including Iran and Azerbaijan, and even the U.S.
The asymmetrical acceleration of information creation and the
human ability to process and cope with it are one aspect of
the debate. From spam to propaganda to phishing attacks, the huge
amount of data we produce and share quicker than ever before
is being used against us. Other aspects the debate will tackle
are: •       How can we sort through fake news
and political propaganda? Where is the balance of corporate
management, government regulation and individual empowerment?
•       Is technology agnostic? Our
increasingly powerful tools can be used to either help or harm
the causes of democracy and individual freedom. •   
   Does maintaining privacy and security without
repression or anarchy require a commitment to private, public
and corporate engagement? And what does dedication to
transparency mean in this context?