South Bay Model United Nations 2021

World Economic Forum (WEF)

[email protected] southbaymun.com/committees/wef

Co-Chairs: Abhinav Ganesh and Shaqed Orr Table of Contents

Welcome Message

Position Papers

Introduction to the World Economic Forum

Topic Overview

Past International Action 5

Case Study : Misinformation and Censorship 7

Case Study : Creative Ideas to Remedy Censorship 8

Key Issues 8

Questions to Consider 9

Works Cited 9 Welcome Message

Hello delegates! Our names are Abhinav Ganesh and Shaqed Orr and we’re thrilled to be chairing the World Economic Forum at SBMUN V. is committee is unique from most committees at this conference in that you have the ability to be creative about the characters you represent and the solutions you present. e Regulation of Social Media and Technology Companies is an incredibly exciting topic that allows you to tackle an important issue through multiple lenses.

As you read this background guide, keep in mind that this document merely provides an overview of the main themes we hope to see discussed in this committee, and some entry-points for you to begin your research. We encourage you to delve deeper into the subject and go beyond the information provided in this background guide.

e World Economic Forum is also a specialized committee, which gives us more lexibility regarding procedure. e committee will mostly follow standard General Assembly procedure and will culminate in the passage of one or more resolutions. However, we will be providing periodic crisis updates during the committee and we expect to see you and your ideas adapt to these updates accordingly.

We can’t wait to see you at the conference and hope you have as much fun participating in it as we had planning it. Good luck!

Position Papers

Position papers are to be emailed as a PDF to [email protected] by March 6.

You will not be eligible for any award if you do not submit a position statement.

In order to show your research into your topics, we request that each delegate submit a – page, typed, and double-spaced position paper, to be emailed as a PDF to [email protected] by March 6 at : pm. Google Drive links will not be accepted. In this research paper, we request that you write three sections: one on an overview of your topic, one on your country or individual’s policies as extrapolated from the sources you evaluate, and

SBMUN V Page 1 one on the solution(s) you propose in your topic. We would also like for you to cite your sources in this paper to show that you have performed research. Seeing as your positions are characters, rather than traditional countries, feel free to write your papers in either first person or third person.

e heading should look like this (please do not include your personal name OR your school name in the heading!):

Character Name Committee Name SBMUN V

Feel free to email us at [email protected] if you need an extension or if you have any questions we can help you with.

Introduction to the World Economic Forum

e World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Switzerland-based NGO, established in , whose stated mission is to create a better world by “bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the inluence to make positive change”[].

e WEF’s most notable event is its annual summit in Davos, Switzerland that draws thousands of political and business elites to a retreat in the Swiss Alps every January. Attendees oten discuss economic issues, but also frequently delve into other topics including inequality, climate change, technology, and gender discrimination.

e Davos summit in included speakers such as Angela Merkel, Narendra Modi, and Xi Jinping. Participants discussed issues including “Fairer Economies,” “Tech for Good,” and “Society & Future of Work”[].

e World Economic Forum is heavily business-oriented as its primary funding comes from “the world’s leading , companies”[]. Because of this, the Forum oten comes under fire for perceived elitism, with participants derided as “Davos Men”[].

SBMUN V Page 2 e World Economic Forum is frequently used as a platform for financial elites to lobby and network with government oficials, and also why the Forum frequently highlights the need for public-private partnerships[]. e WEF oten sees public-private partnerships as a solution to a sundry of global issues, including COVID- vaccine distribution, climate change, and more[].

One of the most striking ways the WEF has achieved its goal of furthering private involvement in governance is through a partnership with the United Nations to allow for greater integration between the two bodies on a myriad of issues including climate change, financing for the UN Agenda, health, and gender equality. UN Secretary General António Guterres also stressed the “invaluable role of the private sector in this work”[].

e committee in which you are participating is the fictional Summit on the Regulation of Social Media and Technology Companies at the Davos Summit. As members of governmental and non-governmental bodies alike, you have been tasked with formulating an approach to digital governance in keeping with the World Economic Forum’s model of public-private partnerships. Unless your character in particular eschews this framework, we advise you to adhere to this principle.

Topic Overview

Digital governance and private monopolies over information are extremely important issues facing the world today. While a few countries, such as North Korea, completely blackout outside information, the proliferation of internet access has largely led to a major weakening in government control of information[].

In Egypt, despite government censorship of over websites and frequent attacks on dissident newspapers, the internet has proved vital in disseminating information into and out of the country[]. Nevertheless, activists were able to use social media, VPNs, and more to evade the information blackouts[]. Groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have even published guides for activists to evade online censorship[].

Similarly, activists in Hong Kong have increasingly resorted to VPNs and encrypted platforms such as Signal to evade Chinese censorship as China increasingly seeks to bring Hong Kong under its censorship regime dubbed “e Great Firewall”[].

SBMUN V Page 3 ese instances point to a growing trend of decentralization and greater freedom of expression spurred by the internet. But what happens when the platforms people rely on for communication are actively engaged in censorship and data collection themselves?

In , the government of Turkey passed legislation which would enable it to “control social media, to get content removed at will, and to arbitrarily target individual users,” according to Human Rights Watch[]. e law also included provisions that would ban corporations which failed to comply with the law from running advertisements on their platforms in Turkey. Major technology companies including Facebook and Google (which owns YouTube) switly took steps to comply with the new laws[].

Even when they are not coerced by governmental entities, social media companies also retain broad rights to monitor and delete content on their platforms. In August , Facebook took major actions to stamp out perceived extremism on its platform; deleting thousands of groups and pages espousing the Qanon conspiracy theory, as well as pages of let-wing anarchist and antifascist groups[]. Facebook justified the bans as a part of its recent eforts to clamp down on violent and extremist content on its platform, but many organizations view some of the bans as arbitrary corporate censorship[]. In January , following a riot at the US Capitol, many major social media companies such as Twitter took steps to ban President Donald Trump and other right wing personalities and forums from their platforms. While many hailed the deplatforming as a victory against hate-speech, right-wing media and several major world leaders roundly lambasted the ban as a form of censorship[][].

e reach that social media companies have over information extends beyond the mere deletion of accounts. YouTube’s algorithm (the process by which YouTube recommends videos for users to watch), has increasingly come under scrutiny for radicalizing viewers. According to the New York Times, YouTube’s business model “ rewards provocative videos with exposure and advertising dollars, and an algorithm that guides users down personalized paths meant to keep them glued to their screens.” As a result, YouTube frequently shows viewers neo-fascist content, conspiracy theories, and other sensational videos which keep viewers engaged while also inadvertently radicalizing them[].

SBMUN V Page 4 e broad authority of social media companies also concerns digital privacy advocates. Most social media companies monetize themselves through the sale of user data. is data collection is vast in scope and includes facial recognition, location data, private contact information, and more. e breadth of this data collection is so vast, and spans so many entities, that it is “impossible even to ask each of the myriad companies individually if they have data on us”[]. is data collection leads to the creation of massive surveillance networks that track human behaviors for a variety of purposes, including the sale of targeted advertisements and invasive government surveillance[].

is surveillance is concerning for digital privacy advocates. e vast web of personal data collection makes people’s information vulnerable to hacking, while vast personnel files make it easier for everybody from companies to Russian hackers to manipulate news feeds[][]. ese concerns mesh with broader fears over infringements on civil liberties, as described in the passage on Turkish crackdowns on digital privacy.

e digital frontier poses serious challenges for the world. e internet has made surveillance increasingly more intimate. Paradoxically, as information has become increasingly difuse and harder to contain, social media companies and governments now have more power to shut down information sources. ese challenges will define the st century and your task in this committee is to come up with collaborative solutions to address them.

Past International Action

Although a cohesive framework for social media and internet regulation is lacking, there are currently several regimes of regulations in place around the world regarding internet governance. is section will describe a few notable pieces of legislation in order to provide broader context on the history of social media regulation.

Notably, the World Economic Forum itself does not have any oficial stance on social media regulation, as the organization views itself as more of a gathering place for decision makers than as an organ of policy analysis. Nevertheless, social media regulation was an important topic at Davos . At the Summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the “economic laws of social media are eating away at the fabric of our society,” and

SBMUN V Page 5 pointed to Europe’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) as an international example of efective standards for social media regulation[].

e GDPR, passed in and implemented in requires explicit consent by the user in order for their data to be accessed. It also states that service providers may only access personal data if they are “enter[ing] into a contract to which the data subject is a party…[compliance] with a legal obligation...perform[ing] a task in the public interest” and more[]. e GDPR also includes a “Right to be Forgotten,” which allows individuals to demand that certain information about themselves be erased from the internet under certain conditions[]. However, the “Right to be Forgotten” has come under fire for its justification that the European Union reserves the right to censor content (through forced erasure) globally[]. e GDPR also concerns digital privacy advocates for its allowance of social media companies to use facial recognition sotware[].

Another regulatory framework, modeled on the GDPR, is the California Consumer Privacy Act. e act grants all consumers the “right to know” about data collection, the “right to delete” certain personal information collected on them, the “right to opt-out” of data collection, and the “right to non-discrimination”[].

Meanwhile, in the realm of content regulation, the United Kingdom has recently begun to take a harsh stance on what it perceives as “harmful and illegal” content”[]. Under the new regulations, the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, will be granted new authority in policing internet content. Ofcom’s focus will be, according to the New York Times, “particularly related to hate speech, terrorism and material targeting children”[]. Many media outlets, however, fear that the new regulations will worsen press freedom in the country, as media platforms may actively remove controversial content that could potentially draw the ire of Ofcom[].

In an attempt to curtail the spread of misinformation on social media, Australia recently proposed a law mandating that sites which host content (such as Facebook and Twitter) must pay news outlets if they wish to publish their journalism. Proponents hope that requiring payments would force media platforms to only publish reputable information on their sites. e laws exclusively apply to journalism created or consumed in Australia[]. In February , as the Australian Senate was soon to vote on the legislation, Facebook blocked all journalistic

SBMUN V Page 6 content for Australian users. e company claimed that it was forced to do so because it was forced to either “comply with a law that ignores the realities of this relationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia[].

While this background guide focuses on a few examples, it is important to remember that internet regulation varies widely across the globe. South Korea, despite being a democracy, actively censors content that it deems to be “harmful”, “subversive,” or suggestive[]. Meanwhile, in the United States, Section of the Communications Decency Act, social media platforms are protected from any liabilities that may result from content published on their platforms[]. is allows social media companies to all content, which many advocates consider a victory for freedom of speech.

e point of this passage is to showcase the stark diferences in social media regulations around the world. In your research, be sure to study the successes and failures of diferent international policies as you try to find a workable solution to the topic.

Case Study 1: Misinformation and Censorship

For many years, the Chinese government has seemingly worked to eliminate its Uyghur population from existence. Uyghurs, an ethnic minority from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which has been oppressed by the chinese government for many years, at rates that have concerningly grown in the past ten years. Government action has included “imprison[ing] more than one million people since and subject[ing] those not detained to intense surveillance, religious restrictions, forced labor, and forced sterilizations.” []

Despite these atrocities gaining international attention, the Chinese government has published a number of propaganda campaigns, and has silenced activists. Limited international journalist access and expulsion of local journalists creates a regulated stream of information from Xinjiang. Government oficials have “aimed to paint a sanitized image of the camps, using social media to sway public opinion” in ways such as “holding tours for foreign journalists and diplomats and disseminating videos in which Uighurs deny mistreatment and denounce their overseas relatives.” []

SBMUN V Page 7 Chinese oficials have taken great measures to deny and “disprove” any international criticism both by speaking publicly against it, and by allegedly inluencing Uyghur populations to speak out in their favor. By discrediting sources, Chinese oficials hope to draw attention away from the issues at hand.[]

Censorship on this issue does not stop at the media. Uyghur citizens face significant limitations in regards to their digital activity and security, which have become increasingly restrictive over time. One such example would be anti-terrorism laws that are vaguely phrased, and allow for the government to censor Uyghur speech and self-expression by claiming that their speech may harm the government. []

Case Study 2: Creative Ideas to Remedy Censorship

Reporters Without Borders, a prevalent press freedom NGO has taken incredible action in order to further the protection of journalists internationally. From campaigning for the appointment of a UN Secretary-general representative for the safety of journalists[] to organizing and participating in awareness events, Reporters Without Borders has found ways to draw great attention to their cause.

eir most innovative campaign is an unlikely one: a Minecrat server. Launched on March , , e Uncensored Library is a virtual library built entirely in Minecrat, the world’s all-time best selling video game[]. e library is intended to serve as a virtual loophole to media censorship, as it features books and articles written by censored authors in an uncensored and accessible format. Described as a “safe haven for press freedom”, the library features authors from Egypt, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, and has recently expanded to include a section on COVID- in even more countries. e books can be read by multiple players simultaneously, as well as in their original language of publication or in English.[]

Key Issues

Great topics to look into other than your assignment include: . Violence against journalists . Net neutrality . Privacy and data collection

SBMUN V Page 8 . Media censorship . Accessibility of information

Questions to Consider

. How has your character been inluenced by the media? Have they benefitted or been harmed by it? . What kind, if any, regulations are necessary in order for the media to be a constructive force for society? . How can we protect journalists from the dangers of their profession? . How can we combat censorship internationally? Should some things be censored?

Works Cited

[] “Pages.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/about/world-economic-forum. [] “e Davos Agenda.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/events/the-davos-agenda-. [] Layton, Jeroen Ouwehand and Matthew, et al. “Partners.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/partners. [] Emba, Christine. “Opinion | Davos Man Is Nervous. He Should Be.” e Washington Post, WP Company, Jan. , www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/davos-man-is-nervous////fe-b-e-d -dcfdbeee_story.html. [] Written by Veronica Scotti, Chairperson. “Public-Private Partnerships: If Not Now, When?” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda///in-the-fight-against-climate-change-public-private-partne rships-are-the-only-way-to-go/. [] “Modi, Xi, among World Leaders to Address Virtual WEF Davos Summit.” Business Today, Jan. , www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/modi-xi-among-world-leaders-to-address-vir tual-wef-davos-summit/story/.html. [] “World Economic Forum and UN Sign Strategic Partnership Framework.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/press///world-economic-forum-and-un-sign-strategic-partnership-f ramework/.

SBMUN V Page 9 [] “World Report : Rights Trends in North Korea.” Human Rights Watch, Jan. , www.hrw.org/world-report//country-chapters/north-korea. [] “TIMEP Brief: Press Freedom in Egypt.” TIMEP, timep.org/reports-briefings/timep-briefs/timep-brief-press-freedom-in-egypt/. [] Galperin, Eva. “Internet Security Savvy Is Critical as Egyptian Government Blocks Websites, Arrests Activists in Response to Continued Protest.” Electronic Frontier Foundation, Oct. , www.ef.org/deeplinks///egypt-blocks-websites-arrests-bloggers-and. [] “China's Great Firewall Descends on Hong Kong Internet Users.” e Guardian, Guardian News and Media, July , www.theguardian.com/world//jul//china-great-firewall-descends-hong-kong-internet- users. [] “Turkey: Social Media Law Will Increase Censorship.” Human Rights Watch, Oct. , www.hrw.org/news////turkey-social-media-law-will-increase-censorship#. [] “Turkey: Facebook and Other Companies ‘in Danger of Becoming an Instrument of State Censorship.’” Amnesty International, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news///turkey-facebook-and-other-companies-in-danger-of -becoming-an-instrument-of-state-censorship/. [] CBS San Francisco. “Facebook Bans Some QAnon, US-Based Militia, Anarchist Groups, Accounts But Allows Posts.” CBS San Francisco, CBS San Francisco, Aug. , sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com////facebook-bans-some-qanon-us-based-militia-anarchist- groups-accounts-but-allows-posts/. [] Lennard, Natasha. “Facebook's Ban on Far-Let Pages Is an Extension of Trump Propaganda.” e Intercept, Aug. , theintercept.com////facebook-bans-antifascist-pages/. [] Elizabeth Dwoskin, Craig Timberg. “Misinformation Dropped Dramatically the Week ater Twitter Banned Trump and Some Allies.” e Washington Post, WP Company, Jan. , www.washingtonpost.com/technology////misinformation-trump-twitter/. [] Al Jazeera. “A 'Bad Sign': World Leaders and Oficials Blast Twitter Trump Ban.” Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, Jan. , www.aljazeera.com/news////a-bad-sign-world-leaders-and-oficials-blast-twitter-trum p-ban. [] Roose, Kevin. “e Making of a YouTube Radical.” e New York Times, e New York Times, June , www.nytimes.com/interactive////technology/youtube-radical.html.

SBMUN V Page 10 [] Leetaru, Kalev. “Social Media Companies Collect So Much Data Even ey Can't Remember All e Ways ey Surveil Us.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, Oct. , www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru////social-media-companies-collect-so-much-data- even-they-cant-remember-all-the-ways-they-surveil-us/?sh=abdb. [] Fang, Lee. “FBI Expands Ability to Monitor Social Media, Location Data.” e Intercept, June , theintercept.com////bi-surveillance-social-media-cellphone-dataminr-venntel/. [] Ackerman, Spencer. “Facebook Now Says Russian Disinfo Reached Million Americans.” e Daily Beast, e Daily Beast Company, Nov. , www.thedailybeast.com/facebook-now-says-russian-disinfo-reached--million-americans. [] Written by Ursula von der Leyen, President. “Ursula Von Der Leyen's Message to Davos Agenda in Full.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda///ursula-von-der-leyen-european-commission-davos-agenda /. [] “What Is GDPR, the EU's New Data Protection Law?” GDPR.eu, Feb. , gdpr.eu/what-is-gdpr/. [] “Everything You Need to Know about the ‘Right to Be Forgotten.’” GDPR.eu, Apr. , gdpr.eu/right-to-be-forgotten/. [] Leetaru, Kalev. “e EU's 'Right To Be Forgotten' Shows Once Again How Little e EU Understands About e Web.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, June , www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru////the-eus-right-to-be-forgotten-shows-once-agai n-how-little-the-eu-understands-about-the-web/?sh=ea. [] “California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).” State of California - Department of Justice - Ofice of the Attorney General, Feb. , oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa. [] Satariano, Adam. “Britain to Create Regulator for Internet Content.” e New York Times, e New York Times, Feb. , www.nytimes.com////technology/britain-internet-regulator.html. [] Waterson, Jim. “Newspapers Fear New Social Media Rules Will Lead to Wider Censorship.” e Guardian, Guardian News and Media, Feb. , www.theguardian.com/media//feb//newspapers-fear-ofcom-regulation-could-lead-to-c ensorship [] Mcguirk, Rod. “Facebook Blocks Australians from Accessing News on Platform.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, Feb. ,

SBMUN V Page 11 apnews.com/article/facebook-blocks-australians-news-access-ebbaafb ea [] “Changes to Sharing and Viewing News on Facebook in Australia.” About Facebook, Feb. , about.b.com/news///changes-to-sharing-and-viewing-news-on-facebook-in-australia/. [] Garcia, Raphael Tsavkko. “Internet Censorship Is Part of South Korea's Democracy Package.” e News Lens International Edition, Sept. , international.thenewslens.com/article/ [] Mackey, Aaron, et al. “Section of the Communications Decency Act.” Electronic Frontier Foundation, www.ef.org/issues/cda. [] “China's Repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-repression-uyghurs-xinjiang. [] Acosta, Carmen Molina. “'Huge Uptick' in Chinese Propaganda over Uighur Camps, Report Finds.” ICIJ, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Aug. , www.icij.org/investigations/china-cables/huge-uptick-in-chinese-propaganda-over-uighur-ca mps-report-finds/. [] “China Hits Back at US Label of Genocide in Xinjiang as 'Lies' in Propaganda-Laden Screed.” Radio Free Asia, www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/propaganda-.html. [] Marguleas, Oliver. “Censoring Collective Identity: Chinese Cybersecurity Policy and the Uyghurs.” e Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, July , jsis.washington.edu/news/censoring-collective-identity-chinese-cybersecurity-policy-uyghurs/ . [] “Protecting Journalists: Reporters without Borders.” RSF, rsf.org/en/actions/protecting-journalists. [] Warren, Tom. “Minecrat Still Incredibly Popular as Sales Top Million and Million Play Monthly.” e Verge, e Verge, May , www.theverge.com/////minecrat-sales-monthly-players-statistics-youtube. [] “RSF Opens ‘e Uncensored Library’ – e Digital Home of Press Freedom within a Global Computer Game: Reporters without Borders.” RSF, Mar. , rsf.org/en/news/rsf-opens-uncensored-library-digital-home-press-freedom-within-global-co mputer-game.

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