The 2024 Edition of the “Tech and Society Summit” will take place in Brussels, on 1 October. Digital Action is one of the co-hosts of the event, together with 40 other organizations in the European Digital Rights space. The summit is an invite-only event that aims to foster dialogue and debate between civil society organizations, academics, activists and the recently elected EU decision-makers. More details on the agenda can be found here.
In the lead up to the event, our team was part of the Europe in the world cluster and helped craft the panel Brussels in the world: platform regulation beyond 2024, which we hope to be a good opportunity to engage with EU decision makers and partners on the most recent regulatory developments for tech accountability.
While the EU has made laudable efforts as a first mover regulator for Big Tech, there’s a risk that EU regulation will be replicated as a one-size-fits all solution around the world, resulting in laws ill-suited to local context with unintended consequences or little impact. We’re advocating for more global majority voices to be heard in Brussels for the development of a truly global, diverse and effective front against growing black holes in tech accountability, in evidence throughout this year’s elections cycle.
During the panel, our global campaigns Manager, Bruna Santos, will share thoughts about recent developments in the feud between Elon Musk and the Brazilian Supreme Court, and also examples as to how the decisions taken by EU regulators have been helping shape policy conversations around the country and, more specifically, in the current debates regarding Platform Governance and Liability in Brazil.
About the Summit
As the world’s reliance on tech expands to most aspects of our lives, the challenges of ensuring accountability, safeguarding rights, and promoting equity in the digital space have never been more critical. We trust that the 2024 edition of EDRi’s Tech and Society Summit has an even more pivotal role in addressing these concerns. And the main goals are: (a) bringing civil society’s voices to the forefront of EU’s digital policy debate and (b) bridging it with new and incoming policymakers and other EU institutions, all in order to achieve accountable, people-focused policies that advance everyone’s digital rights.
Bringing this summit to fruition has been a collective effort, and we are proud to partner with other 40 leading organizations in the European digital rights space that also share our commitment to amplifying the voices of those most affected by the failures of the tech industry. We invite everyone – partners, EU decision makers, regulators and other community members – to join us in the critical dialogues taking place this year, focusing on the intersection of technology, society, and the environment. Together, we can redefine what it means to hold the tech industry accountable, ensure that digital spaces are safe and equitable for all, and build a future where technology serves the public good, not private interests.
For those attending the event, make sure to connect with Digital Action’s team members Alexandra Pardal and Bruna Santos, and ask more from the recent developments in the Global Coalition for Tech Justice’s Year of Democracy Campaign. Our goal? To chart a bold, collective path toward a more accountable and equitable digital future.
See you in Brussels!