YOUthDIG 2022

18 – 20 June 2022, YOUthDIG | 20 – 22 June 2022, EuroDIG
YOUthDIG 2022 programme | About EuroDIG 2022

YOU^thDIG Messages 2022

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1. Artificial Intelligence in a Natural World

• Address the existing bias and data gaps in terms of gender, race, geography and disability through the exposure of the methodological process behind the data collection and processing.
• Recommend the open and collaborative forecast of potential societal impact of the Al systems through multi-stakeholder impact assessments.
• Request a change in the scope of the debate around accountability from transparency to contestability, where users are also included as stakeholders.
• Urge to enhance the guarantees for users to safeguard individual and collective digital rights.

2. Envisioning the Future of Social Media

• Introduce a framework that encourages social, and discourages antisocial behaviour in the digital world. This can be applied cross-border and can be the basis for development of further legislation.
• Develop a European-based and owned social media platform, that facilitates and encourages democratic participation and where users remain in control of their personal data.
• Encourage the flagging of misleading online content and the verification of credible and accurate content by a collaboration between moderators and users.
• Introduce media literacy mechanisms to maintain society and users informed about the identification of fake-news.

3. Sustainability and ICTs

(ICTs refers to Information and Communication Technologies)

• On the role of academia: we stress the need to further increase investment and funding to foster research and innovation connecting the digital, social, and green transitions; further improve outreach strategies to communicate funding opportunities and overcome institutional, geographic, socioeconomic, and other persistent barriers; and provide financial mechanisms to diversify and expand the existing and emerging partnerships and networks worldwide.
• On the continuous overproduction and overconsumption of data services, processing, and storage, as well as of electronic devices and online services: we strongly demand that the 3R approach be an integral element in Internet Governance and digital policy dialogues and decision-making. Moreover, acknowledging the decisive role of the end-user or consumer, yet noting the persistent digital literacy gap, we encourage a critical perspective in the use of data and technical devices, while also supporting efforts to design accessible guidelines to learn how to make efficient and sustainable use of smart technologies.
• On the application of ICTs for socioeconomic development: we strongly recommend forecasting and critically evaluating their use and impact in sectors of the economy where their application is still in its inception, such as but not limited to administration, agriculture, retailing and e-commerce, infrastructure, urban planning, justice, and healthcare. Furthermore, noting the rising trends towards platform and remote work, and their influence in the youth in particular, we recommend that intergenerational multistakeholder efforts in Internet Governance also discuss the digital, socioeconomic, and environmental dimensions of the role of lCTs in the future of work.
• On the use of ICTs in the educational sector: we recommend European countries to allocate a minimum of 1% of their GDP to research and adaptation of innovative and sustainable lCTs for learning purposes. Moreover, further investment should be directed towards strengthening partnerships within and beyond Europe to foster knowledge-transfer of ICT innovations applied to teaching and life-long professional development and its link to climate education.

4. Navigating the Cryptocurrency Waters

• Include digital financial education into secondary education and national financial literacy strategies.
• Increase allocation of research funds to support the development of more energy-efficient crypto mining techniques.
• Consider progressive taxing of gains from cryptocurrencies to specifically address inequalities caused by the use of cryptocurrency.
• Encourage inclusion of youth into discussions with crypto communities as to the respective roles of regulation, soft law, and standards to raise awareness about the risks related to the technology.
• Promote the employment of the Know Your Client and Anti-Money Laundering tools by major crypto currency exchange platforms to increase the level of trust towards the platforms.
• Promote youth-friendly language explaining the functioning and guarantees present or absent at the crypto currency exchange platforms.

About YOU^thDIG

The Youth Dialogue on Internet Governance (YOUthDIG) is a yearly pre-event to the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) aimed to foster active youth participation. Young people (ages 18-30) from the pan-European region with a strong interest in Internet governance, digital policy and cooperation are working together to draft and advocate for the youth messages.

Every year the YOUthDIG Organising Team is compiled of former YOUthDIG participants who design the programme for the upcoming edition. This is a chance to reflect and improve the programme from last editions, build further connections with YOUthDIG alumni and the EuroDIG community and to provide an opportunity for young people throughout Europe to participate in the Internet Governance Ecosystem focusing on topics that are important to youth in the field.