RightsCon Toronto 2018

By presenting trends and risks from around the world arising from government efforts to define and detect “extremism,” this panel will invite audience members to think open-mindedly about what their own societies may currently or someday characterize as “extremist,” as well as the concomitant risks to civil and political rights. In doing so, we will step back from the question of what companies should be doing to detect and counter certain behaviors or speech, and create an opportunity to refocus on the motivations, definitions, and tactics of governments, with a sensitivity to broader historical and social contexts. Our session also aims to identify new trends in government uses of surveillance and AI/algorithms to detect so-called “extremists” by examining specific examples already being implemented.

Panelists will engage in a moderated discussion of concepts of “extremism” and resulting surveillance or similar measures from around the world. The audience will then be invited to share experiences and viewpoints as part of an interactive discussion. To conclude, the panelists and audience will discuss ideas about how to investigate and challenge government measures in this area.