RightsCon Toronto 2018

During the 2016 American presidential election, and in particular it’s in aftermath, articles, events, company initiatives and regulatory attempts on “fake news” have become just as prevalent as fake news themselves. While acknowledging the significance of the issue we believe that a more thorough problem definition is necessary in order to find appropriate solutions instead of quick political actions that might lead to more harm than benefit for the information ecosystem. This session will focus on one element of the problem, namely on how false information is spread in a targeted manner on social media platforms when the specific content is sponsored or takes the form of an advertisement. The session will examine if and how technologically feasible and legally enforceable privacy rules around online tracking can contribute to the solution of the problem.