[NEWS] CfDS Researcher Joined APrIGF 2020 as a Fellow

Josia Paska Darmawan, Researcher and Digital Intelligence Manager of CfDS UGM, was selected to join Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) as a fellow for digital inclusion, gender equality, and diversity. Here are some key takeaways from the forum meeting held on September 27-30, 2020.

During the program, I joined several sessions regarding digital inclusion. In these sessions, we discussed how digital inclusion is not only about internet penetration and infrastructures, but also about digital literacy. We need to make sure that people are able to access the internet and use it wisely. In this era of information overload, it has become increasingly difficult to determine whether an information is reliable and accurate or not. During times of crisis such as the current pandemic, the volume of mis- and disinformation on the internet often increase significantly. Therefore, we need to teach internet users how to identify these false information and to pick their sources wisely.

The internet should also be a safe space for minority groups and vulnerable communities. Cyberbullying has become a huge problem on the internet. Young people are actively using social media and, even though in most cases it brings comfort and new friends for these young users, it also becomes a new battleground for bullies. We have witnessed several cases where teenagers committed suicide due to online harassments. Marginalized groups such as the LGBTQIA+ community have become prominent targets for cyberbullying due to the lack of protection from the government. People often hide behind their screen name to persecute these vulnerable users, often to the extent of threats and doxxing. The anonymity that the internet provides has become a double-edged sword; it enables marginalized communities to gather and express their concerns freely while also equips others to attack them. Therefore, platforms, governments, and civil society leaders need to work hand-in-hand to ensure the safety of these users through regulations and socializations of good internet practice.

We also need to ensure the diversity of information on the internet. There are at least two issues when it comes to the status quo of digital content: the lack of linguistic diversity and content that provides affirmations for minorities and marginalized communities. The monolingualism of the internet has become such a huge problem that nowadays, you have to be able to understand English to access more than half of its content. In addition, local content in several countries are dominated by perspectives from the conservative majority, which often excludes or even mobilizes hatreds towards marginalized people such as LGBTQIA+ and religious minorities. Therefore, an effort to amplify the voices of these marginalized communities is important, not only to diversify the internet, but also to provide a safer and more affirming space for everyone.