Gender rights online Archives | Page 9 of 12

Parliamentarians call for stronger platform accountability and human rights protections at IGF 2025

At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, parliamentarians from around the world gathered to share perspectives on how to regulate harmful online content without infringing on freedom of expression and democratic values. The session, moderated by Sorina Teleanu, Diplo’s Director of Knowledge, highlighted the increasing urgency for social media platforms to respond more swiftly and responsibly to harmful content, particularly content generated by AI that can lead to real-world consequences such as harassment, mental health issues, and even suicide.

Pakistan’s Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan delivered a powerful appeal, pointing to cultural insensitivity and profit-driven resistance by platforms that often ignore urgent content removal requests. Representatives from Argentina, Nepal, Bulgaria, and South Africa echoed the need for effective legal frameworks that uphold safety and fundamental rights.

Argentina’s Franco Metaza, Member of Parliament of Mercosur, cited disturbing content that promotes eating disorders among young girls and detailed the tangible danger of disinformation, including an assassination attempt linked to online hate. Nepal’s MP Yogesh Bhattarai advocated for regulation without authoritarian control, underscoring the importance of constitutional safeguards for speech.

Member of European Parliament, Tsvetelina Penkova from Bulgaria, outlined the EU’s multifaceted digital laws, like the Digital Services Act and GDPR, which aim to protect users while grappling with implementation challenges across 27 diverse member states.

Youth engagement and digital literacy emerged as key themes, with several speakers emphasising that involving young people in policymaking leads to better, more inclusive policies. Panellists also stressed that education is essential for equipping users with the tools to navigate online spaces safely and critically.

Calls for multistakeholder cooperation rang throughout the session, with consensus on the need for collaboration between governments, tech companies, civil society, and international organisations. A thought-provoking proposal from a Congolese parliamentarian suggested that digital rights be recognised as a new, fourth generation of human rights—akin to civil, economic, and environmental rights already codified in international frameworks.

Other attendees welcomed the idea and agreed that without such recognition, the enforcement of digital protections would remain fragmented. The session concluded on a collaborative and urgent note, with calls for shared responsibility, joint strategies, and stronger international frameworks to create a safer, more just digital future.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

Protecting the vulnerable online: Global lawmakers push for new digital safety standards

At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, a parliamentary session titled ‘Click with Care: Protecting Vulnerable Groups Online’ gathered lawmakers, regulators, and digital rights experts from around the world to confront the urgent issue of online harm targeting marginalised communities. Speakers from Uganda, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Kenya shared insights on how current laws often fall short, especially in the Global South where women, children, and LGBTQ+ groups face disproportionate digital threats.

Research presented showed alarming trends—one in three African women experience online abuse, often with no support or recourse, and platforms’ moderation systems are frequently inadequate, slow, or biassed in favor of users from the Global North.

The session exposed critical gaps in enforcement and accountability, particularly regarding large platforms like Meta and Google, which frequently resist compliance with national regulations. Malaysian Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching and others emphasised that individual countries struggle to hold tech giants accountable, leading to calls for stronger regional blocs and international cooperation.

Meanwhile, Philippine lawmaker Raoul Manuel highlighted legislative progress, including extraterritorial jurisdiction for child exploitation and expanded definitions of online violence, though enforcement remains patchy. In Pakistan, Nighat Dad raised the alarm over AI-generated deepfakes and the burden placed on victims to monitor and report their own abuse.

Panellists also stressed that simply taking down harmful content isn’t enough. They called for systemic platform reform, including greater algorithm transparency, meaningful reporting tools, and design changes that prevent harm before it occurs.

Behavioural economist Sandra Maximiano introduced the concept of ‘nudging’ safer user behavior through design interventions that account for human cognitive biases—approaches that could complement legal strategies by embedding protection into the architecture of online spaces.

Why does it matter?

A powerful takeaway from the session was the consensus that online safety must be treated as both a technological and human challenge. Participants agreed that coordinated global responses, inclusive policymaking, and engagement with community structures are essential to making the internet a safer place—particularly for those who need protection the most.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

Africa reflects on 20 years of WSIS at IGF 2025

At the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025, a high-level session brought together African government officials, private sector leaders, civil society advocates, and international experts to reflect on two decades of the continent’s engagement in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process. Moderated by Mactar Seck of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the WSIS+20 Africa review highlighted both remarkable progress and ongoing challenges in digital transformation.

Seck opened the discussion with a snapshot of Africa’s connectivity leap from 2.6% in 2005 to 38% today. Yet, he warned, ‘Cybersecurity costs Africa 10% of its GDP,’ underscoring the urgency of coordinated investment and inclusion. Emphasising multi-stakeholder collaboration, he called for ‘inclusive policy-making across government, private sector, academia and civil society,’ aligned with frameworks such as the AU Digital Strategy and the Global Digital Compact.

Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary detailed the country’s 10-year National Digital Strategic Framework, boasting 92% 3G and 91% 4G coverage and regional infrastructure links. Meanwhile, Benin’s Hon. Adjara presented the Cotonou Declaration and proposed an African Digital Performance Index to monitor broadband, skills, cybersecurity, and inclusion. From the private sector, Jimson Odufuye called for ‘annual WSIS reviews at national level’ and closer alignment with Sustainable Development Goals, stating, “If we cannot measure progress, we cannot reach the SDGs.”

Gender advocate Baratang Pil called for a revision of WSIS action lines to include mandatory gender audits and demanded that ‘30% of national AI and DPI funding go to women-led tech firms.’ Youth representative Louvo Gray stressed the need for $100 billion to close the continent’s digital divide, reminding participants that by 2050, 42% of the world’s youth will be African. Philippe Roux of the UN Emerging Technology Office urged policymakers to focus on implementation over renegotiation: ‘People are not connected because it costs too much — we must address the demand side.’

The panel concluded with a call for enhanced continental cooperation and practical action. As Seck summarised, ‘Africa has the youth, knowledge, and opportunity to lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We must make sure digital inclusion is not a slogan — it must be a shared commitment.’

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

How ROAMX helps bridge the digital divide

At the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, experts and stakeholders gathered to assess the progress of UNESCO’s ROAMX framework, a tool for evaluating digital development through the lenses of Rights, Openness, Accessibility, Multi-stakeholder participation, and cross-cutting issues such as gender equality and sustainability. Since its introduction in 2018, and with the rollout of new second-generation indicators in 2024, ROAMX has helped countries align their digital policies with global standards like the WSIS and Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Tawfik Jelassi of UNESCO opened the session by highlighting the urgency of inclusive digital transformation, noting that 2.6 billion people remain offline, particularly in lower-income regions.

Brazil and Fiji were presented as case studies for the updated framework. Brazil, the first to implement the revised indicators, showcased improvements in digital public services, but also revealed enduring inequalities—particularly among Black women and rural communities—with limited meaningful connectivity and digital literacy.

Meanwhile, Fiji piloted a capacity-building workshop that exposed serious intergovernmental coordination gaps: despite extensive consultation, most ministries were unaware of their national digital strategy. These findings underscore the need for ongoing engagement across government and civil society to implement effective digital policies truly.

Speakers emphasised that ROAMX is more than just an assessment tool; it offers a full policy lifecycle framework that can inform planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Participants noted that the framework’s adaptability makes it suitable for integration into national and regional digital governance efforts, including Internet Governance Forums.

They also pointed out the acute lack of sex-disaggregated data, which severely hampers effective policy responses to gender-based digital divides, especially in regions like Africa, where women remain underrepresented in both access and leadership roles in tech.

The session concluded with a call for broader adoption of ROAMX as a strategic tool to guide inclusive digital transformation efforts worldwide. Its relevance was affirmed in the context of WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact, with panellists agreeing that meaningful, rights-based digital development must be data-driven, inclusive, and participatory to leave no one behind in the digital age.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

Google revises AI team’s mission statement, removing equity focus

Google has quietly updated the webpage for its Responsible AI and Human-Centred Technology team, removing references to diversity and equity

Terms such as ‘marginalised communities’ and ‘underrepresented groups’ have been replaced with more neutral language. The changes were first spotted by watchdog group The Midas Project, which previously reported similar edits to Google’s Startups Founders Fund page.

The company’s move comes amid a broader rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the tech industry. Google announced in February that it would end its diversity hiring targets and reassess its DEI programmes.

Other companies, including Amazon and Meta, have also scaled back diversity policies in response to legal and political pressures from the Trump administration, which has criticised such initiatives.

Federal contracts could be influencing these decisions, as many of the affected companies, including Google, work closely with United States agencies.

While some firms, such as OpenAI, have removed diversity language from hiring pages, Apple recently rejected a shareholder proposal to eliminate its DEI programmes. The changes suggest a shifting landscape for corporate diversity efforts in the US tech sector.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Gender imbalance in EU’s tech industry

A new report has revealed significant gender imbalances across the EU’s tech ecosystem, from education to executive positions. The GENDEX index, funded by the European Innovation Council, found that women remain underrepresented in STEM fields, with only 42% of graduates in 2022 being women.

The imbalance is particularly evident in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, where just 24% of graduates are women.

However, this discrepancy leads to fewer women founders in deep tech startups, with only one in five European tech companies being led by women over the past decade.

Women’s representation in academia is also limited, comprising just 31% of researchers and scientists in deep tech. Furthermore, only 24% of patent applications are submitted by women.

The report suggests that a narrowing funnel of opportunities negatively impacts the entire tech sector, as talented women are lost along the way. Men continue to dominate leadership positions, with women holding only about 30% of roles in European companies.

The gender gap is most evident at the board level, particularly in male-founded companies.

The study also highlighted the challenges female entrepreneurs face in securing funding. Female-led teams receive just 1% of venture capital funding, and when they do secure investments, they often face less favourable terms and longer waits compared to male-led teams.

The report recommends that investors require gender diversity reporting before providing funding and prioritise women-led companies to address these disparities.

Additionally, experts argue that structural changes are necessary to create a more balanced and effective tech ecosystem, pointing out that gender diversity can lead to better results for companies and the industry as a whole.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Amazon removes diversity references as companies scale back DEI policies

Amazon has removed references to ‘inclusion and diversity‘ from its latest annual report, signalling a shift away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The change follows an internal memo from December, in which Amazon announced it was winding down certain DEI programmes by the end of 2024. Instead of maintaining separate initiatives, the company plans to integrate DEI efforts into broader corporate processes.

Tech giants such as Meta and Google have also been scaling back diversity programmes, facing pressure from conservative groups threatening legal action. Disney has similarly adjusted its DEI approach, removing mentions of its ‘Reimagine Tomorrow‘ programme while introducing an initiative to hire US military veterans. The trend reflects a broader corporate retreat from diversity-focused policies that gained traction after the 2020 protests against racial injustice.

Political opposition to DEI has grown, with President Donald Trump’s administration vowing to eliminate diversity policies in the private sector. In response, attorneys general from twelve US states, including New York and California, have reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing civil rights protections against workplace discrimination. The debate over DEI’s future remains contentious as businesses and lawmakers continue to clash over its role in corporate America.

Google drops diversity-focused recruitment targets

Google has scrapped its diversity-based hiring goals and is reviewing its inclusion initiatives, aligning with other US businesses scaling back such efforts. Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi confirmed the company would no longer set aspirational diversity targets, marking a shift from commitments made in 2020 to improve representation across leadership roles.

A goal set by CEO Sundar Pichai in 2020 aimed for 30% of leadership hires to come from underrepresented groups by 2025. Reports indicate Google had reached 60% of its five-year objectives by early 2024. However, recent regulatory filings show that the company removed previous statements about making diversity a core focus, reflecting its broader reassessment of DEI programmes.

Alphabet Workers Union criticised the move, calling it part of a larger trend against workplace diversity in the tech sector. As a federal contractor, Google also cited the need to comply with changing regulations and executive orders affecting DEI initiatives. Internal employee groups such as “Black Googler Network” and ‘Trans at Google’ will remain in place, continuing to inform company policies.

Other major technology firms, including Meta and Amazon, have also reduced their DEI commitments. Conservative groups have challenged corporate diversity policies following a 2023 US Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in university admissions, increasing pressure on businesses to revise their approaches.

Meta, X, Google join EU code to combat hate speech

Major tech companies, including Meta’s Facebook, Elon Musk’s X, YouTube, and TikTok, have committed to tackling online hate speech through a revised code of conduct now linked to the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Announced Monday by the European Commission, the updated agreement also includes platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitch, expanding the coalition originally formed in 2016. The move reinforces the EU’s stance against illegal hate speech, both online and offline, according to EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen.

Under the revised code, platforms must allow not-for-profit organisations or public entities to monitor how they handle hate speech reports and ensure at least 66% of flagged cases are reviewed within 24 hours. Companies have also pledged to use automated tools to detect and reduce hateful content while disclosing how recommendation algorithms influence the spread of such material.

Additionally, participating platforms will provide detailed, country-specific data on hate speech incidents categorised by factors like race, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Compliance with these measures will play a critical role in regulators’ enforcement of the DSA, a cornerstone of the EU’s strategy to combat illegal and harmful content online.

EU court orders SNCF to eliminate gender titles in online ticket purchases to comply with privacy regulations

The EU’s highest court ruled today that France‘s railway company SNCF must stop asking customers for their gender titles when purchasing tickets online. This ruling follows a complaint filed by LGBT+ rights group Mousse, which argued that requiring a title like Mr. or Mrs. violated EU privacy laws, specifically the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which mandates data minimisation.

Mousse contended that asking for a title, which reflects a person’s gender identity, was unnecessary and infringed on privacy rights. While SNCF justified the practice of personalising communications and offering services like women-only carriages on night trains, the court disagreed. It concluded that personalising commercial communications based on presumed gender identity was not essential for completing a rail transport contract.

The court’s decision, based on a previous opinion from Advocate-General Maciej Szpunar, allows companies to communicate with customers in a more inclusive, non-gendered manner. Mousse celebrated the ruling as a victory for LGBT+ rights, emphasising its potential to bring wider positive changes for equality across the EU.