EU preventive diplomacy, mediation & digital peacebuilding | Visiting Professor @collegeofeurope | Feminist | Irish or British or both - always European | live from Lisbon 🇪🇺🇮🇪🇬🇧🇵🇹 🕊️ linkedin.com/in/guybanim/
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Well done, excellent overview cyberlaw.stanford.edu/a-primer-on-... (and my apologies for raising the blocking of portuguese state railway by Meta - indeed this is not in the category of US law requiring content takedown outside US. It is still troubling however...)
Ahead of tomorrow's hearing on European "censorship" of Americans under the Digital Services Act, I have a new blog post explaining why that is not a thing. You can get the gist in about two minutes of skimming the bold text, or stay for the details. 1/ cyberlaw.stanford.edu/a-primer-on-...
“Build”: Is Europe Finally Getting that Regulation Could Never Get Us a Digital Industry? open.substack.com/pub/escapefo...
Are you aware of the challenges faced by low-resource languages against disinformation? #EUfunded research is changing that narrative. Tune in to our #CORDIScovery podcast to learn how the EU is empowering fact-checkers & tackling disinformation! 👉 europa.eu/!DVCrYM
Finding the truth about conflicts in difficult to access regions is a challenge. Read as we take you through the processes required to identify and verify what is really happening in a conflict, using the recent violent uprisings in Manipur, India as an example. www.bellingcat.com/news/rest-of...
www.publico.pt/2024/07/12/s...
Well, we all know everyone outside US has their daily experience of what they see online shaped by US law and US norms. I live in Portugal - if i search on Facebook for the state railway company « CP.pt » i get this message « child sex abuse is illegal »
"Democracy will not survive if the tech oligarchs want it dead. And the European economy won’t survive without control over the digital products, services, and infrastructure that underpin all modern manufacturing and services," says MEP Alexandra Geese.
IYMI Looking for views on #AI & 🇪🇺 #dma How can we help development of AI by everyone and not just #gatekeepers?
Stand up to Trump on Big Tech, says EU antitrust chief on.ft.com/3UQO5GE
Calling for your views on how the DMA can (furter) facilitate contestability of digital markets and AI sector:
Commission slams US censorship attacks on EU tech laws as ‘nonsense’
Horrified by yet another night of deadly Russian missile attacks on Ukraine. My thoughts are with the Ukrainian victims and also with the staff of the EU Delegation in Ukraine, whose building was damaged in this deliberate Russian strike.
⛰️ Guten Abend from the beautiful village of #Alpbach, Austria! 🇦🇹 Together w/ colleagues from HDMO.eu, @goripaula.bsky.social & @eldaelda.bsky.social are attending this year's #EuropeanForumAlpbach as session hosts. Take a look at the programme & if you're around, join us tomorrow! loom.ly/goc6tj8
The European Commission asserted the "sovereign right" to regulate the activities of tech giants within the bloc and rejected claims by President Donald Trump that its rules unfairly harm US firms
🖥️ #Trump's attacks on the #DSA threaten the safety of the European digital space ➡️ Why is it important that the EU keeps regulating online content? And what else can we do to combat the spread of disinformation? Find out in our latest animated video with #RECLAIM 🔗 youtu.be/UPWfsNraA7c @uam.es
What happens when you build a social media platform where every user is an AI? One recent study did just that, and even without ads or algorithms, the bots still formed partisan echo chambers and amplified the most polarized content. gizmodo.com/researchers-...
In many countries, mainstream politicians are adopting rhetoric and policies that typical of the far-right. Our new paper (w/ @dziblatt.bsky.social and E Dinas), out now in the @bjpols.bsky.social, finds that doing so erodes norms more than when far-right politicians make similar statements. 1/3
We got something to show... You can now check out our lists of accepted Demo papers and papers accepted in the Late-Breaking Results (LBR) track. All is available on our beautiful #RecSys2025 website: recsys.acm.org/recsys25/acc...
Off to #alpbach to showcase Build Up^ 👣 #PolarizationFootprint metric for online toxicity & affective polarisation 🇪🇺 platform accountability & #DSA mechanisms to address hate & disinformation 🗣️ promote pro-social tech design @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social www.alpbach.org/event/progra... #EFA25
Should peacebuilders consider using AI for mediation? Two chatbots—Akord AI in Sudan and Cocorico in the Democratic Republic of Congo—show that customization and ethical guidelines can transform AI into effective peacebuilding tools. techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/peace-by-p...
Worth a read. The guy is a fascinating character, has become quite the far-right boogeyman here, yet also worth understanding the unique controversies around the social media laws.
📣 Can AI finally break the engagement trap? At #TrustCon2025, Integrity Institute’s Jeff Allen saw signs of hope. techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/can-ai-bre...
📢 !! Announcing our first speakers for Think & Do 2025: Control / Alt / Lead Anu Bradford, @mariafarrell.bsky.social, and @javierespft.bsky.social will help us shape the debate on how we respond to technological change! 📩 Link to register your interest below:
Meta's recent announcement that it will follow Google's decision and ban political advertising on its platforms comes with significant implications for free speech and democracy in Europe. Sam Jefferies from @whotargets.me explores the problem and offers some solutions for EU policy makers.
🇷🇴🇮🇹 A new report by IDMO, BROD, and @edmo-eu.bsky.social maps the #disinformation landscape across X, TikTok, and Facebook during Romania’s 2024–2025 electoral cycle, with a focus on the diaspora in Italy www.idmo.it/2025/07/30/e...
💡 Read the main insights from the May 2025 #Science for #Policy workshop by the Joint Research Centre & @eui-eu.bsky.social: hdl.handle.net/1814/93071 🪢 This brief synthesizes 3 interconnected themes discussed during the panel “Narratives and Conflict in the #PostTruth #Information Environment”.
France is asking the Commission to set deadlines for completing its Digital Services Act (DSA) investigations on larger platforms in order to strengthen the application of the bloc's digital rulebook, per an internal note seen by Euractiv. www.euractiv.com/section/tech...
🔬📖 In his new commentary, @sverhulst.bsky.social argues the EU must fix deep asymmetries in data, decision-making, and digital infrastructure to build a stronger, more transparent research ecosystem. READ HERE 👉 www.ceps.eu/going-beyond...
X wants to appeal High Court ruling dismissing Coimisiún na Meán case
This week at @cgf-uk.bsky.social at European Media&Information Fund Annual Conference, our founder Emmanuel Vincent presented in a panel on what data researchers need to effectively implement European Code of Conduct on Disinformation&advance transparency obligations under the #DigitalServicesAct.
MEPs Brando Benifei and Michael McNamara, the co-chairs of the AI working group, have given their blessing to the final version of the EU code of practice for general-purpose AI models, dubbing it "a compromise that retains core protections." www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pres...
🔥TikTok is always on fire during election time - which accounts are real, which are fake? Our team uncovered 66 murky accounts mimicking political parties & leaders while looking at Sri Lanka’s 2025 local elections artificially boosting visibility & engagement. ⬇️
What happens when you test the DSA in court? You get a precedent with huge implications for researchers and transparency 👏🏽 We hosted a fantastic session with experts to unpack the ruling and explore what lies ahead. Here are the key takeaways: bit.ly/3TJqrva @stiftungmercator.bsky.social
The bloc's Digital Services Act has become a flashpoint between Brussels and US Big Tech companies backed by the Trump administration. https://on.ft.com/4kJ9PPd
From Africa to Asia, a movement is threatening Big Tech's business model of harvesting data abroad while keeping profits at home New from @tarykuh.bsky.social: restofworld.org/2025/big-tec...
. @riovictoire.bsky.social will tell the committee about how the social media landscape is transforming, how #automation and #generativeAI are impacting #informationintegrity, and how #EU regulation can keep up. Full program here: www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/2971...
⏰ TODAY AT 10am CET: WTF Executive Director @riovictoire.bsky.social will participate in a public hearing at the European Parliament’s Special Committee on European Democracy Shield (#EUDS). Tune in here: multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstream...
Are you a sharp strategic comms operator focusing on Germany/France/Europe who wants to make the digital world a better place? Then don't miss these THREE opportunities! I've worked with this team, and everyone there is positively stellar. This is high-impact, interesting work with great people:
Wanna know what changed between the Draft of the Delegated Act on Research Data Access in the #DSA? We've aligned the relevant passages and just published the comparison on our website: dsa40collaboratory.eu/dda-da-compa... Data & code used are available on our github: github.com/access-colla...
🔴 LIVE NOW: #EPlenary debate with Danish European Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre and Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque State of play of implementation of the European Media Freedom Act in the Member States 📺 Watch ⤵️ europa.eu/!Yv79dB
For too many Muslims in the EU, home doesn't always feel welcoming. Home should be where connections begin, not where prejudice takes hold. But the story changes when we challenge stereotypes. So, look again: what do you choose to see? Find out more: europa.eu/!4p8FfC
"EU is the most important global actor now in supporting accountability, transparency & fair democratic processes. It cannot fill this role by playing defence only" Same goes for need to act globally to ‘preserve peace, prevent conflicts & strengthen international security’ (TEU Article 21(2)) #DSA
"men are using machines to harm democracies" (crucially, the french accent causing a misunderstood arm≠harm) #DemocracyShield #DSA watchback👇(at 3h37m) 📺https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNU8JBUZZEM @nathalieloiseau.bsky.social
🇪🇺EU's Global Digital Strategy 🤔what's that?? Find out with this watchback 📺https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgn82MbGUYI
FINALLY 😌 The Delegated Act is here. The Act clarifies rules for data access under the Digital Services Act #DSA #dataaccess #research #eusky #commsky #polisky #csssky digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/d...
"A recent EDMO report flagged 'consistent gaps in transparency, independent oversight and measurable outcomes across all commitments,' warning that the code 'risks remaining performative' if the companies do not step up." @ramshajahangir.bsky.social spoke w/ EDMO SecGen @goripaula.bsky.social ⤵️
🇺🇳 Missed us at this year's #UN @intgovforum.bsky.social in Lillestrøm? Re-watch our session: loom.ly/kuB8TyY #EU Rules on #Disinformation: Who Are Friends or Foes? 🎙️ @goripaula.bsky.social @mikkovsalo.bsky.social @nordishub.bsky.social @benmshultz.com + more. Thanks to everyone who joined us!
I wrote a similar response to a similar argument in a libertarian law pub —just came out! The arguments are well-trod by this point; my essay responds to a specific provocation. Look: the structures for discourse are different now. Sensemaking changed. So: we adapt. lawliberty.org/content-mode...
🔴 care about combatting #FIMI, protecting the integrity of our information space, tackling #polarisation, how.can.should European action (#DSA, #DMA, #AIAct, #democracyshield) ensure design of media and digital ecosystem for good @simplyshada.bsky.social @alvarooleart.bsky.social 👇
😔 Making a recommitment to the art of peaceful dispute settlement all the more urgent 👇
How war became contagious https://on.ft.com/3ZO7s68
🙅No Increasing defence expenditure ≠ transformation of the 🇪🇺 from a peace project to a "war project" As an embodiment of peaceful dispute resolution, it is existential that even whilst building its hard power the 🇪🇺continue to adhere to founding principles 👇 www.coleurope.eu/sites/defaul...
Latest @ecfr.eu has even more striking results for 🇵🇹 & demolishes myths of a N/E v S/W divide within 🇪🇺 👉🇵🇹more concerned than 🇪🇪 about being attacked by Russia 🇵🇹results are difficult to understand, why such an outlier on concern of third world war and the EU falling apart🤔? ecfr.eu/publication/...
🔍 To what extent are #Meta, #Google, #Microsoft and #TikTok fulfilling their commitments to 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 as foreseen by the Code of Practice on #Disinformation? 👉 Take a look at our complete new report, the executive summary, and 15 recommendations: loom.ly/-115cZ8
🌐 We said we’d return to #tech and #democracy, so here we are. ‘‘Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without all three, we have no democracy’’. 💬 🎙️ Citing @mariaressa.bsky.social, our afternoon session on the information space starts with a strong statement.
Young people are online more than ever — but not always safely. Here’s how EU countries want to protect them: 🔒 safer digital spaces 📱 healthy screen habits 🧠 better digital skills 📌 Click for more: europa.eu/!Kq4T8q #MentalHealth #YouthOnline #Cyberbullying #EPSCO
EXPO 2025: Two Hybrid Events, Global Programming 📅 June 26 | 🌎 Americas | EMEA | Asia Pacific How can tech foster trust, cohesion, and collaboration—instead of fueling division and violence? Join global voices shaping the future of prosocial tech. techandsocialcohesion.org/ctsc-expo
The #DSA might be the most important internet law ever, but it's impenetrable without a law degree. That's why we've built RADAR, an open-source framework that breaks down DSA requirements into clear categories and measurable indicators. Making compliance accessible to all!
By meeting with war criminal Min Aung Hlaing, PM #Anwar has forced an #ASEAN reset on #Myanmar. The redundant 5PC should be regarded as dead. Anwar must now champion a new ASEAN process on Myanmar, based on a New 5PC, to be adopted at the May #ASEANSummit. www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opi...
You can view the recording of the event here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cit...
Today’s first EU–UK summit marks a new chapter in our relationship. Together, dear Keir, we are laying the groundwork for a forward-looking relationship—one that delivers real benefits for our citizens and helps protect our shared values and security.
1/2 We want to better protect children online. Platforms accessible to minors have to meet the highest standards of child protection, in terms of privacy, safety, and security, as required under the Digital Services Act. We are developing guidelines to ensure this.
Full text of @kajakallas.bsky.social video address to It’s Time last week. Standing in full solidarity with peacebuilders, announcing €18m in new funding for civil society, and opposing legislation “used as tool to reduce this space.” Thank you HRVP Kallas and EU 🙏 t.co/7n5ly3oaB7
🚨 New paper: The European Way – A Blueprint for Reclaiming Our Digital Future This is not about #isolationism or #protectionism. It’s a call to lead with values, open standards & trusted global partnerships. 📖 Read the paper: www.ft.com/content/2a78... #EUtech #DigitalFuture #EuropeanWay
#EuropeDay celebrates peace & unity in #Europe – the very achievements #disinformation actors often seek to erode. 🛡️ Preserving the legacy of the #SchumanDeclaration also means doing everything we can to uphold #InformationIntegrity. For this we'll keep working w/ partners across & beyond the #EU 🤝
🇪🇺 United in Diversity. Europe, our home. 🌍 Today, we celebrate the European dream and the values that bring us together. Europe Day is your day! 💙 Enjoy the feeling with the new digital merch 👉 europa.eu/!VWYmRc
On 9 May, we celebrate the unbreakable values that unite us. In a divided world, Europe stands for peace and solidarity. 🇪🇺💙 This EuropeDay, let's honour our shared journey.
Good exchange yesterday with TikTok CEO, Shou Chew. @shouchew.bsky.social The protection of our kids online and election integrity remain our key priorities. I will continue to work with TikTok and all online platforms to ensure compliance with the DSA.
EU Enlargement in the Age of Geopolitics Stefan Lehne asks - "How the EU’s role as an anchor of European stability can be developed and how enlargement can be used to enhance security and prosperity in the current geopolitical context?" carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
10 days after the historic Iberian Peninsula #blackout, read how quickly and widely #misinformation and #disinformation went around the world – in a new EDMO investigation by @maldita.es.web.brid.gy: loom.ly/HQoHFTI @iberifier.bsky.social @salaverria.es
Celina Del Felice, President @peaceagency.bsky.social, opens the conference "Smart Peace. Tech. Human. Possible." as she challenges us to step outside our comfort zones and critically examine both the risks and the immense potential of #technology in #peacebuilding.
#BPF25 | Session I "Peacetech: wishful thinking or reality?" 🗣️ The future of #peacetech is not just about using the latest tools, it’s about using them responsibly, to connect, engage, and build a safer, more inclusive digital space.
"Constitutions embody society's vision for peace, justice and governance. Peace mediation lays the groundwork for this. That’s why constitution-making and peacemaking need to be interlinked."- @doctorchris.bsky.social
Though Rwandan forces have a well deserved reputation for civilian protection in northern Mozambique, does their current posture expose civilians to sustained violence from insurgents? acleddata.com/2025/04/23/r...
Are you a new mediator who wants to increase their skills to positively intervene in local conflicts? In collab with Africa University, Search for Common Ground, @interpeace.org and CENAP, we produced a training manual to help insider mediators become experienced. 👉: cnxus.org/resource/ins...
Interested in learning more about insider mediation? 👉Check out the first episode of our podcast with the Insider Mediator Consortium and @euinzim.bsky.social to hear from expert Michelle Chioniso, who shares her experience helping solve disputes in #Zimbabwe. 👂: cnxus.org/resource/the...
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🧵 Content moderation is reshaping our digital spaces and with it our democracies. Automated systems, especially #LLMs, used to flag, remove or recommend content, raise many concerns. A new ECNL report unpacks their impacts on human rights and civic space: ecnl.org/publications...
Europe's race to rearm is pointless if its adversaries are waging war online | Johnny Ryan
We tried optimizing for truth, hoping that would lead to trust. I don't think it worked very well. Instead let's try optimizing for trust, hoping that it leads to truth. This is my view on "misinformation" and how we should think about designing future AI information systems.
The Trump administration’s concerns over EU and UK regulation of social media ring hollow given the administration’s hostility to virtually any foreign regulation of US digital industries and its direct crackdown on dissenting expression at home, writes Mariana Olaizola Rosenblat.
Have your say on the EU Cybersecurity Act. The consultation is open to gather input for the evaluation and revision of the 2019 Cybersecurity Act. Part of our broader effort to strengthen the EU’s resilience against cyber threats and to simplify cybersecurity rules. 🔗 ⬇️
Following last month's devastating #MyanmarEarthquake – which has compounded ongoing crises – we hosted a discussion with experts including @stellanaw.bsky.social, who urged the humanitarian sector to rethink its approach amid the country's deepening struggles. 📺 Watch in full now: buff.ly/97SpHLl
📢Call for Papers! This topic couldn’t be more timely! If you research on disinformation, fact-checking, or digital platforms, don’t miss this CfP at «Communication & Society»: "From Fact-Checking to Community Notes". 🗓️Deadline: October 30, 2025 ➡️ Details & submission info: unav.edu/documents/29...
📌 Join this policy dialogue, which will seek to gather inputs from civil society organisations and the research community on the potential elements to be included in the forthcoming International Digital Strategy, including the EU Tech Offer to partner countries. Register now 🔗 buff.ly/U4K9ZK7
Check out the detailed (preliminary) programme of the #AoIR2025Symposium in Bremen and register now to join us on June 3-4, 2025! ℹ️ Info and Programme: platform-governance.org/aoir-flashpo... ✍️ Direct Link to Registration (10-50$): members.aoir.org/event-6113333
Excited to present our large-scale algorithm audit study where our team collaborated with 30 political parties to investigate bias in political ad delivery at the #AlgoSoc2025 conference! Come to the poster session at 17:30 today if you want to know more :) favstats.github.io/EuroAlgos/po...
Today the great legal team at Berlin based @freiheitsrechte.org have lodged complaints against Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Google and Twitter with the Irish regulator who oversees the EU's DSA, for failing to be transparent on why they shut down our accounts & content I am proud to act as complainant
Looking forward to AlgoSoc conference the next two days. Today, I'll be part of a panel discussions on "Europe’s digital agenda in a polarised world", tomorrow I'll talk about the future of news consumption. Interesting conversations ahead! Program here: conference.algosoc.org/programme-da...
📣 Time is running out for a clear strategic vision for EU action in fragile settings. The EU must set its ambition now, or risk being overshadowed by short-term, interest-driven agendas. Read the commentary 👉 bit.ly/4cnMJLs
Democracy faces global threats. As the EU starts negotiations over its next 7-year budget, @eedemocracy.bsky.social, @enopeu.bsky.social, @epd.eu, @internationalidea.bsky.social & @opengovpartnership.org, outline 6 key recommendations to #SupportDemocracy in a joint statement➡️ epd.eu/content/uplo...
Happy #Belfast/GFAday 🇮🇪🕊️🇬🇧 27 years ago I was a newly minted NI civil servant - totally overawed and inspired by giants of the #peaceprocess Let's recommit 👉"to partnership, equality and mutual respect as the basis of relationships" at home, in our communities, in the wider world
The new 🇩🇪German Coalition just made an explicit commitment to #EuroStack - the plan for digital strategic autonomy supported by European industry which doesn’t rely on a Brussels fund showering taxpayer money on projects w no commercial prospects, that no one wants - like #AI_factories. Big deal.
The German coalition agreement has a section on digital sovereignty! 🔥🪩 (Translating from www.spd.de/fileadmin/Do...) Lots of the usual wasted effort about AI, but that last sentence smells really good!
@rosabalfour.bsky.social recommendation for the marquee panel at the 9th #GlobalTechSummit! From shifting global alliances to unpredictable trade moves, the world is being reshaped in real time. What’s next in this evolving landscape? @tanvimadan.bsky.social @jamescrabtree.bsky.social 👇
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⚖️ Are you interested in algorithmic transparency in #EU law? Our colleague and Data Protection Lawyer Stefano Rossetti just published an article on CJEU decision C-203/22 in the European Law Blog. 💭 Find out more: https://www.europeanlawblog.eu/pub/lwchuopd/release/1 #DataProtection
SAC-M welcomes the renewed int'l attention given to #Myanmar at #HRC58, even before the devastating #earthquake. The Council's new consensus resolution on Myanmar is a clear call for stronger action from States & UN entities & places renewed pressure on the #UNGA & #UNSC. PR: tinyurl.com/mvx2nx5w
