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#The World Wide Web of Gatekeepers
##By Evelyn Austin
The online environment is our main source for imparting and receiving information, making it hugely important for the functioning of our democracy. Increasingly, this environment is dominated by a few companies that act on an immense scale and with complete disregard for our privacy, freedom of expression, and safety. The regulatory response is lacking, with governments knowingly and unknowingly co-creating a world wide web of gates and gatekeepers, in which governments, corporations, and private entities have the power to exercise unparalleled control over the public debate. This talk will look into current challenges to our freedom of expression, how the open internet is under threat, and why you should care.
Evelyn Austin (NL) works for Bits of Freedom, a leading European digital rights organization based in Amsterdam. She supports Bits of Freedom’s volunteer-run projects, contributes to their European network, and works on issues around freedom of communication. She is interested in the intersection between technology and society, and in topics such as our freedom of expression and assembly, the privatization of what should be our collective data, design, and human rights. She is also the co-founder of The Hmm, a network of contemporary visual culture enthusiasts.