Revontulet CEO Chairs Parliamentary Session at the Internet Governance Forum
Mr. Ihler chairing the session “Striking the balance: Upholding freedom of expression in the fight against cybercrime” as part of the Parliamentary track at the 20th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Photo by Revontulet staff.
On Monday, the 23rd of June, CEO & Founder of Revontulet, Bjørn Ihler, chaired the session “Striking the balance: Upholding freedom of expression in the fight against cybercrime” at the 20th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
The Internet Governance Forum is a crucial arena that brings together stakeholders from around the world to set the agenda for the future of the internet. The IGF convenes stakeholders from across governments, civil society, and the private sector, fostering a multistakeholder dialogue. With approximately 4,000 participants, the IGF is the largest United Nations event ever held in Norway.
In the Parliamentary Track, the IGF is bringing together hundreds of parliamentarians from around the world to shape the future of global and local governance of our shared online spaces and infrastructure.
“As a Norwegian, I’m proud that we’re hosts to this great forum and that delegates from all over the world can come together in our capital to have these important conversations.”
Following the panel, Mr. Ihler took part in a reception for the participants in the parliamentary track at the Norwegian Parliament/Stortinget. Private photo.
Chairing the session and working closely with the Internet Governance Forum staff in shaping both the content of the conversation and the output documents (linked below) of the Parliamentary Track further cements Revontulet's role in contributing to online safety, while remaining cognizant and respectful of fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression.
We were excited to participate in the Internet Governance Forum and found it to be a great opportunity for fruitful engagement with the wider sector, learning from stakeholders from diverse communities and fields, and building bilateral relationships for future collaboration.
Below are the output documents from the Parliamentary Track, along with Mr. Ihler’s opening remarks and questions to the panelists.
Output document of the Parliamentary Track:
Opening Remarks and Questions to the Panel
Distinguished Excellencies, members of parliament, representatives, contributors, and participants.
As a local, it is my honor to welcome you all to Norway and to moderate this panel on the important topic of Striking the balance: upholding freedom of expression in the fight against cybercrime.
My name is Bjørn Ihler, I am the CEO and founder of Revontulet, providing data and intelligence on terrorist and extremist networks to support digital service providers and other stakeholders in improving regulatory compliance, increasing user and public safety, and director and co-founder of the Khalifa Ihler Institute, building peaceful and resilient communities online and offline.
Over the past 14 years, following the 22/7 2011 terrorist attack here in Norway, I have been working to counter and prevent violent extremism and terrorism online and offline. A key component of this has been collaborating with online platforms, multilateral organizations, and the broader multistakeholder community to address online harms.
Over the past decades we have seen a rapid development of social media platforms and their societal impact. The power of online communities has changed the paths of history, empowering individuals and communities to address and counter human rights abuses and promote civil liberties around the world.
Our online communities have also been abused and exploited by nefarious actors to undermine democratic processes, recruit to terrorist and violent extremist organizations, conduct coordinated information operations, spread disinformation, harmful and exploitative content, intimidate individuals and representatives participating in public discourse and political processes, and engage in other forms of cybercrime, causing significant harm.
Considering both the opportunities and the complex challenges posed by the evolving online landscape it is vital that we, across parliaments, governments, civil society and multilateral organizations actively continue to engage with tech through the private sector, and regulation, to strike the right balance between liberty and safety - to ensure respect for human life, dignity, and rights, in the online sphere.
As online criminal activities increase in scope and sophistication, efforts to combat cybercrime continue to evolve.
Recent legislative initiatives in this area have focused on targeting misinformation and other misconduct online. However, laws on content regulation, surveillance and platform liability can pose serious risks to freedom of expression and access to information.
Experts from the media, the private sector, law enforcement, and technical and intergovernmental organizations will provide a holistic view of this complex policy landscape in this session, exploring how policymakers can navigate the delicate balance between ensuring cybersecurity and upholding fundamental human rights, particularly the right to freedom of expression.
Without further ado, it’s therefore my privilege to introduce you to this esteemed panel, consisting of;
Paul Ash, Chief Executive Officer, Christchurch Call Foundation
Cagatay Pekyour, Head of Community Engagement & Advocacy, Meta
Pavel Popescu, Vice President, ANCOM
Mallory Knodel, Executive Director of Social Web Foundation, member of the Global Encryption Coalition
Question to Paul Ash: “The Christchurch Call is working towards eliminating terrorist and violent extremist content online. How can Members of Parliament take action while making sure to uphold human rights online and a free, secure, and public internet? What alternative and effective measures to drafting legislation to counter cybercrime can you recommend?”
Question to Mallory Knodel: “How should efforts to combat cybercrime and cybersecurity threats think about end-to-end encryption and user-centric security and privacy tools?
Question to Cagatay Pekyour: “What does effective regulation that strikes a balance between combatting cybercrime, misinformation and online misconduct whilst protecting freedom of expression look like for platforms like Meta? Could you elaborate how Meta works to protect freedom of expression whilst navigating increased regulation (especially when such pressures are coming from different jurisdictions, where cultural norms can vary widely)?”
Question to Pavel Popescu: “As a previous Member of Parliament working on cybersecurity legislation and as a current regulator in Romania, what challenges and solutions do you see in addressing cybercrime and upholding freedom of expression in national legislation and practice? Are there good practices you could share and how could whole-of-government collaboration with other stakeholders improve countermeasures?”