08-08, 11:00–11:55 (Poland), Istanbul (10)
Language: English
In 2024, 4 billion people will participate in elections across 64 countries, making it the biggest election year in history. The integrity of these elections is at risk due to disinformation campaigns, which can polarize society. Wikimedia projects are essential platforms for providing free and neutral and information, including on elections and are therefore critical to the democratic process. Community editors play crucial role in governance and content moderation, while the WMF supports communities to mitigate disinformation campaigns, and connect with other stakeholders. This panel aims to stocktake the effort of WMF and community editos in addressing disinformation during elections.
The year 2024 will witness major elections in twenty countries, and elections at different levels in more than seventy-six countries, involving approximately 4 billion people, half the world population. The integrity of these elections is at risk due to the spread of disinformation by state and non-state actors, which can polarize society. With 15 billion views monthly, Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects are essential platforms for providing free and neutral information, including on elections. Community editors play a crucial role in governance and content moderation, while the WMF supports communities' response to elections with efforts to mitigate disinformation campaigns, and connecting with other stakeholders to protect communities. This panel session aims to stocktake the joint effort of WMF and community editors in addressing mis and disinformation during elections. By sharing best practices and examples from this year's work around elections, as well as possible mitigation strategies, this panel will also increase volunteers' capacity to address disinformation on the projects.
The aim of this panel discussion is to bring together experts, practitioners, and stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities in maintaining information integrity during elections. The panel will explore the role of community editors and the WMF in addressing mis and disinformation, share best practices and examples from past elections, and discuss potential mitigation strategies to enhance the capacity of volunteers to address disinformation on Wikimedia projects. It will also discuss the advantages of the Wikimedia model in dealing with disinformation campaigns, compared to other digital platforms and make the case that for a healthy information ecosystem, governments need to understand and protect our model.
Suggested Speakers and moderator:
Moderator: Rachel Judhistari, WMF Lead Public Policy Specialist for Asia and the Pacific.
Costanza Sciuba Caniglia, WMF Anti-Disinformation Strategy Lead and Abhas Tripathi, Manager Trust and Safety to discuss WMF's efforts to address mis and disinformation during elections and its collaboration with community editors.
Wikimedia Indonesia, Wikimedia Ukraine or Wikimedia France to discuss the role of affiliates and community editor on content moderation and governance on Wikimedia projects to share their insights and best practices in the context of elections and dis/misinformation.
Yale Digital Ethic Institute, insight on collaboration with Wikimedia movement in addressing disinformation during elections
Denmark Govt, to share insight about our collaboration in Freedom Online Coalition to ensure information integrity.
Session recording: https://youtu.be/Uf_se76KeEA?t=379
The proposed session on "Information Integrity during Elections: Collective effort to address mis and disinformation" links with the overall conference theme of collaboration in several ways:
Collaboration between WMF and community editors: The session highlights the joint effort of WMF and community editors in addressing mis and disinformation during elections. This collaboration is essential for maintaining information integrity and ensuring the accuracy and neutrality of information presented on Wikimedia projects.
Collaboration with stakeholders: The session involves experts, practitioners, and stakeholders from various fields, including fact-checking organizations, government bodies, and academic institutions. This collaboration allows for the sharing of best practices and the development of mitigation strategies to enhance the capacity of volunteers to address disinformation on Wikimedia projects.
Collaboration for a common goal: The session aims to contribute to the overall goal of maintaining a free and neutral information environment during elections. This goal is shared by all participants, including WMF, community editors, and stakeholders, who are working together to address the challenges posed by mis and disinformation.
Collaboration for knowledge sharing: The session provides a platform for sharing best practices and examples from past elections, as well as discussing potential mitigation strategies. This knowledge sharing is crucial for enhancing the capacity of volunteers to address disinformation on Wikimedia projects and for improving the overall response to mis and disinformation during elections.
What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?* –Everyone can participate in this session
How do you plan to deliver this session?* –Hybrid with some participants in Katowice and others dialing in remotely
What other themes or topics does your session fit into? Please choose from the list of tags below. –Collaboration, Conferences, Campaigns
Lead Public Policy Specialist for Asia and the Pacific of Wikimedia Foundation