8 April 2022
IViR Room, 5th floor, REC A
Welcome to the webpage of the sixth International Media Law, Policy & Practice (IMLPP) conference. Run by students, the conference has been organised as a closing event for the 2022 IMLPP course. IMLPP is an optional course on the specialised Informatierecht LL.M. programme, which is offered by the Institute for Information Law (IViR) at the Faculty of Law, University of Amsterdam. The course coordinator is Dr. Tarlach McGonagle (IViR).
The main aim of the conference is to provide IMLPP students with a platform to present the research that they have carried out during the course. A number of external expert speakers will participate, but the mainstay of the conference will be presentations by the students themselves. The conference will also include a moot court competition involving IMLPP students. Attendance is open to all students on the Informatierecht LL.M. Programme and all other interested researchers and students. Registration is free of charge, but compulsory. To register, simply send an e-mail to: informatierecht-fdr@uva.nl with ‘IMLPP Conference’ in the subject line. Please indicate if you will be present in person (for lunch) or if you will participate online.
| Conference programme | |
|---|---|
| 09.30 – 09.40 | Welcome Tarlach McGonagle (IViR) |
| 09.40 – 11.10 | Panel I: The disruption of public debate: the chilling effects of SLAPPs Chair: Charlotte Kroese (IMLPP) Speakers: Fenna van Haeften (LL.M. student, Leiden Law School), Melinda Rucz (researcher, IViR), Anouck Bakhuis (Legal counsel, SOLV Advocaten & alumna IMLPP). Respondent (via Zoom): Giulia Lucchese (Council of Europe, Media & Internet Governance Division, Secretary to the Committee of Experts on SLAPPs (MSI-SLP)) |
| 11.10 – 11.30 | Tea & coffee |
| 11.30 – 13.15 | International Media Law Moot Court Judges: Tessel Bossen (bureau Brandeis & alumna Informatierecht) & Tarlach McGonagle (IViR). Applicants: Nynke Schutte & Gijs Alberdingk Thijm (IMLPP) Respondents: Doris Buijs & Max Kosian (IMLPP) Amicus curiae: Stijn Werkhoven (IMLPP) |
| 13.15 – 14.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 – 15.30 | Panel II: The disruption of public debate: artificial intelligence and online media Chair: Solange Baris (IMLPP) Speakers: Manon van ‘t Hof (IMLPP), (via Zoom) Julia Haas (Assistant Project Officer, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media’s Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence and Freedom of Expression (#SAIFE) project) |
| 15.30 – 15.45 | Closing remarks Conference rapporteur, IMLPP. |
Conference Twitter hashtag: #IMLPP2022
Panel Abstracts
Panel I – The disruption of public debate: The chilling effects of SLAPPs
The first panel will focus on various kinds of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), and the manner in which they disrupt participation in public debate. The session will start with a brief introduction to the concept and its chilling effects by the moderator, Charlotte Kroese (IMLPP). The first panelist, Fenna van Haefte (LL.M. student, Leiden Law School), will elaborate on the general aspects of SLAPPs. She will set out the regulatory framework and guide the audience through the intricate ways that SLAPPs contribute to a chilling effect. Melinda Rucz (IViR researcher) will then cast a different light on SLAPPs by introducing the privacy and data protection aspects that come into play. More specifically, Melinda will explain how the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is (mis)used as a form of strategic litigation against public participation. Anouck Bakhuis (IViR alumna and legal counsel at SOLV) will explore CyberSLAPPs, a special subset of abusive strategic litigation. CyberSLAPPs are particularly harmful to public participation, as they aim to reveal the identity of anonymous online commenters to intimidate other (future) critics. Giulia Lucchese (Secretary to the Committee of Experts on SLAPPs – Council of Europe) will respond to the presentations via Zoom. She will also introduce the work of the committee of experts. The panel session will conclude with a Q&A session, during which the audience can ask the panelists questions (both in person and via Zoom).
Panel II: The disruption of public debate: artificial intelligence and online media
How does artificial intelligence (AI) in online media affect public debate? The increasing amount of content online has made it almost impossible for human content moderators to remove all potentially harmful content online. An increase in content moderation by AI systems might be a solution. How will this affect public debate? The future of AI in online media will also change how journalism is produced and disseminated today: media reports written by robots may become indistinguishable from news made by journalists. These are just two examples of artificial intelligence in online media. The moderator, Solange Baris (IMLPP) will introduce the panel’s main focuses and Manon van ‘t Hof explore selected aspects further. Julia Haas (Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media) will then introduce her office’s Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence and Freedom of Expression (#SAIFE) project. During panel II, the influence of artificial intelligence in online media on public debate will be discussed. The panel will conclude with a Q&A session, during which the audience can ask the panelists questions (both in person and via Zoom).