Transatlantic conference on Global Online Freedom & Corporate Responsibility in Washington and Brussels

The University of Groningen and George Washington University are organizing a transatlantic conference on Global Online Freedom and Corporate Responsibility. The conference will take place in Washington and Brussels from 9 till 15 May 2012.

The Internet with over two billion connections has become the most important medium for worldwide communication and trade. However, the Internet also offers unprecedented possibilities for censorship, monitoring and surveillance by authoritarian regimes. Western companies that supply information technology to such regimes facilitate this intentionally or unintentionally. Recent examples are the role of Google in China and of Nokia Siemens in Iran.

In Washington, representatives of the American Congress, Google and Reporters Without Borders and scholars will take part in the conference. In Brussels, amongst others, prominent members of the European Parliament and representatives of Nokia-Siemens will speak at the conference. The transatlantic conference is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dutch embassy in Washington and the Permanent Representation in Brussels. Besides keynotes by prominent speakers, the program includes multidisciplinary workshops organized by talented (honours) students of the University of Groningen and George Washington University.

The conference will be recorded and published as a documentary and  proceedings will be published.

If you want to attend one of the parts of the conference, or if you would like to receive more information, please visit www.globalonlinefreedom.org