As States adopt different legislations for transparency by online platforms regarding online content and platforms choose to report on a variety of different metrics and procedures, it´s becoming difficult to compare information avoiding conflicting requirements. A new I&J Framing Brief on Meaningful Transparency offers a shared taxonomy and a set of structuring elements to aid the design, exploration, development, and implementation of meaningful transparency measures by states, companies and regulators.
The outcome was presented at a webinar on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at 6pm - 7pm CET.
The resource highlights key issues to be addressed by all involved in planning, establishing, and working on transparency, from a company that seeks to come up with transparency reporting policy, to a regulator when considering transparency measures.
“Transparency is about enabling a conversation between the different stakeholders establishing who needs to know what, when, how, and for what purpose. This Framing Brief is an extremely useful document to facilitate and structure the discussions on transparency between different stakeholders. It can also serve as a very helpful checklist of issues to consider when contemplating or working on transparency regimes”, said Wolfgang Schulz, Research Director, Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG).
The resource includes a number of factors that should be taken into account to ensure that the goals of transparency do not run contrary to other legitimate interests and provides the first steps in designing a meaningful transparency regime. While some aspects may be applicable to transparency generally, this is about transparency in the context of content moderation. The recommendations included are applicable to any stakeholder contemplating or devising transparency measures.
“Transparency can serve a multitude of different purposes. However, in order to make transparency meaningful there first needs to be a good understanding by all of what can be achieved through transparency and how this can be useful for all stakeholders. As this document is produced by experts from governments, internet companies, civil society, academia and international organizations it provides the issues to be addressed from the perspectives of the main stakeholders involved in governance of online content”, said Frane Maroevic, Director, Content & Jurisdiction Program.
Learn more about the Content & Jurisdiction Program and Contact Group members here.
View previous Content & Jurisdiction Program outcomes here.
