Re: [hrpc] Fwd: Reminder: Call for Papers: IAB workshop on Barriers to Internet Access of Services (BIAS)

[Tony Rutkowski <[e-mail]>]

While we're into history, for the younger folk here, it is worth noting 
this subject's most prominent manifestation was undertaken 40 years ago 
under the aegis of UNESCO's MacBride Commission.  See 
https://archive.ccrvoices.org/articles/the-macbride-report.html Note 
there is also an extensive technical annex to the report (to which I was 
a contributor).  Internet technologies were just emerging at the time, 
and threaded through the deliberations.

Seán MacBride was at the pinnacle of his long and diverse human rights 
(and onetime political activist) career, having just received the Nobel 
and Lenin Peace Prizes.  At his many public appearances as the 
Commission's leader in 1978-79, he would waive an audio tape in the air 
as an example of a kind of primitive packet network that he described as 
potentially fueling a grass roots revolution in Iran that would advance 
their human rights. The result was not exactly as he expected.  Sean 
subsequently returned to his mother's home - Roebuck House - outside of 
Dublin and quietly passed away a few years later.  Altruism doesn't 
always produce the intended results.

--tony r


On 11/21/2023 3:30 AM, Niels ten Oever wrote:
> Three more days to submit something to participate in this relevant 
> workshop!
>
> Best,
>
> Niels
>
>
> -------- Forwarded Message --------
> Subject: Reminder: Call for Papers: IAB workshop on Barriers to 
> Internet Access of Services (BIAS)
> Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:20:06 -0800
> From: IAB Executive Administrative Manager <[e-mail]>
> Reply-To: [e-mail]
> To: IETF Announcement List <[e-mail]>
> CC: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]
>
> IAB workshop on Barriers to Internet Access of Services (BIAS)
>
> Webpage: https://datatracker.ietf.org/group/biasws/about/
>
> The Internet as part of the critical infrastructure affects many
> aspects of our society significantly, although it impacts different
> parts of society differently. The Internet is an important tool to
> reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)[1] and to globally support
> human rights. Consequently, the lack of meaningful access to digital
> infrastructure and services is also a form of disenfranchisement.
>
> Solely having Internet access is not enough. At the same time as we
> work to connect the next billion people and reduce the digital divide,
> it is also important to understand persistent and novel inequalities in
> the digital age when accessing content and services. There are more and
> more barriers to meaningful access to the services and applications
> that run on the Internet. Even if Internet connectivity is available,
> information and services access may remain challenged and unequal.
>
> This workshop aims to collect reports about barriers to access content
> and services on the Internet, e.g based on filtering, blocking as well
> as due to general inequality of technological capabilities, like device
> or protocol limitations. The workshop aims to help the Internet
> community get a better understanding of how the Internet functions in
> different parts of the world and which technology or techniques need to
> be used to gain access to content. Further this workshop aims to build
> an understanding of what “being connected” to the Internet means: What
> is the Internet to users? What is needed to be meaningfully connected?
> What are the minimum requirements in order to be able to access certain
> parts of the content and services provided over the Internet?
>
> The IAB is looking for short position papers on the following topics;
> however, this list is non-exhaustive and should be interpreted broadly:
>
>   • Discussion of minimal requirements for meaningful Internet access
>     that enable use of content and services provided over the Internet
>   • Discussion of current inequalities in Internet access in various
>     parts of the world
>   • Measurements of content blocking, Internet shutdowns, or other
>     events that impact Internet access
>   • Detailed analysis of filtering and blocking techniques
>   • Description and evaluation of circumvention techniques, including
>     VPNs and application-level traffic diversion
>   • Discussion and measurements of technologies that exacerbate the
>     digital divide beyond connectivity
>   • Threat modeling for when connectivity and circumvention are
>     misaligned with jurisdictions and authorities
>
> Interested participants are invited to submit position papers on the
> workshop topics. There are no restrictions on the format. Participants
> can choose their preferred format, including Internet-Drafts, text- or
> word-based documents, or papers formatted similar as used by academic
> publication venues. Submission as PDF is preferred. Paper size is not
> limited, but brevity is encouraged. Interested participants who have
> published relevant academic papers may submit these as a position
> paper, optionally with a short abstract explaining their interest and
> the paper’s relevance to the workshop. The workshop itself will be
> focused on discussions based on the position paper topics received.
>
> All inputs submitted and considered relevant will be published on the
> workshop website. The organizers will issue invitations based on the
> submissions received. Sessions will be organized according to content,
> and not every accepted submission or invited attendee will have an
> opportunity to present; the intent is to foster an active discussion
> and not simply to have a sequence of presentations. A workshop report
> covering all submissions and the workshop discussion will be published
> afterwards.
>
> The workshop will be by invitation only. Those wishing to attend should
> submit a position paper to address the above topics and questions.
> Position papers from those not planning to attend the workshop
> themselves are also encouraged.
>
> Please indicate your interest by submitting a research proposal by
> November 24, 2023 to [e-mail]
>
> The Program Committee members are Mallory Knodel (IAB, Center for
> Democracy and Technology), Mirja Kühlewind (IAB, Ericsson), Tommy Pauly
> (IAB, Apple), Chris Wood (IAB, Cloudflare), and Dhruv Dhody (IAB,
> Huawei).
>
> Feel free to contact the program committee with any further questions:
> [e-mail].
>
> This workshop will be held online during the week of January 15, 2024,
> likely supporting three 2-3h sessions spread over the week based on
> submissions and the availability of the invited participants.
>
> [1] https://sdgs.un.org/goals
>
> _______________________________________________
> IETF-Announce mailing list
> [e-mail]
> https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf-announce
>
> _______________________________________________
> hrpc mailing list
> [e-mail]
> https://mailman.irtf.org/mailman/listinfo/hrpc