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Submissions/Transparency Report

From Wikimania 2013 • Hong Kong

This is an accepted submission for Wikimania 2013.

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Submission no.
4024
Subject no.
P1
Title of the submission
Transparency Report
Type of submission
Presentation & Panel
Author of the submission
Andy Yee
Country of origin
Hong Kong
Affiliation
Google Inc.
E-mail address
andyyee@google.com
Username
ahkyee
Personal homepage or blog
Abstract

More transparency will lead to better Internet regulation because we can see how laws play out on the ground. Data allows us to judge whether existing laws are relevant and effective and if they enhance or erode fundamental freedoms. By releasing a template Transparency Report using Hong Kong as an example, we want to trigger discussions about how governments can engage in increased transparency.

Detailed proposal

More transparency will lead to better Internet regulation because we can see how laws play out on the ground. Data allows us to judge whether existing laws are relevant and effective and if they enhance or erode fundamental freedoms. Using this data we can hold policymakers accountable for the laws they enact and how those laws are enforced.

A number of technology and telecommunications companies, such as Google, Twitter and LinkedIn, have started to issue transparency reports which disclose data about government requests, such as user data and content removal requests. This shines a light on how government actions can affect the free flow of information online.

Triggered by Google’s Transparency Report, Hong Kong legislator Charles Mok raised questions about broader Hong Kong government’s practices of user data and content removal requests made to ISPs. The written reply given by the government in February 2013 revealed that, over the past 3 years, Hong Kong government departments made over 14,000 user data requests, and all were made without court order.

The Journalism and Media Studies Centre (JMSC) of the University of Hong Kong, with support from Google, is working on a template transparency report, using Hong Kong as an example. We will introduce this during Wikimania, and trigger discussions about how governments can engage in increased transparency.

Proposed format: 1-hour session

15 minutes: Presentation by JMSC on the Hong Kong Transparency Report

30 minutes: Panel discussions, featuring: (1) Ying Chan, Director, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, University of Hong Kong (2) Lokman Tsui, Head of Free Expression, Asia Pacific, Google (3) Andrew Lih, USC Professor and author of The Wikipedia Revolution (4) Ot van Daalen, Bits of Freedom

15 minutes: Questions from audience

Track

Analysis and Public Engagement

Length of presentation/talk
60 minutes
Language of presentation/talk
English
Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?
Yes
Slides or further information (optional)
Special requests


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  1. John Vandenberg (talk) 04:47, 6 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
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