In August, the Brainbox Institute collaborated with the European Union in Aotearoa New Zealand and Victoria University of Wellington to host a panel addressing the approaches of both the EU and New Zealand toward online platform accountability. The event brought together a number of prominent expert voices, including Gerard de Graaf, the EU’s Senior Envoy for Digital to the US, Paul Ash from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Anjum Rahman from Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono, Victoria University’s Professor Ali Knott, and Brainbox Director Tom Barraclough.
The discussion revealed that while the approaches taken by the EU and New Zealand differed, both were underpinned by a shared goal: ensuring online accountability while protecting fundamental human rights and enabling innovation. It is reassuring to see that both approaches are complementary, and that the EU and New Zealand have considerable avenues to learn from and teach each other in this area – highlighting the importance and benefit of continued partnership. Further, we welcome the panel’s acknowledgement that both civil society and community groups hold an important role in online platform regulation.
Following the panel, the Brainbox Institute has produced a policy paper as part of the Policy Futures initiative of the EU Delegation to Aotearoa New Zealand. The paper is intended to fairly capture the discussion and is structured around important areas which arose during the discussion including key issues in online accountability, the differing approaches being taken by the EU and New Zealand, as well as the commonalities and the path forward.
The European Union in Aotearoa New Zealand also created a video summary of the event, which you can watch below:
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