- nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

FBI Gains Access to Sci-Hub Founder’s Google Account Data
by Giacomo Tesio March 4, 2022

March 4, 2022

Sci-Hub founder Alexandra Elbakyan says that following a legal process, the Federal Bureau of Investigations has gained access to data in her Google account. Google itself informed her of the data release this week noting that due to a court order, the company wasn't allowed to inform her sooner. [...] Sci-Hub has also accrued many high-powered enemies. These are not limited to major publishing houses angry at their content being distributed for free. Founder Alexandra Elbakyan is also a person of interest to elements of the US government’s intelligence and security services, which appear to be conducting an investigation into the computer security expert. # Elbakyan’s Apple Account Compromised In May 2021, Elbakyan received an email from Apple (via her Gmail account) advising her that in 2019, Apple had received a request from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) that requested “information” from her Apple account. Quite what information the FBI requested wasn’t made clear but Apple did advise the Sci-Hub founder that due to the nature of the request, Apple was only allowed to provide “delayed notice” to Elbakyan. [...] # Google Now Confirms It Too Handed Over Data to the FBI In January 2021, Twitter suspended the official Sci-Hub account so when site updates are published, they now tend to appear on Elbakyan’s personal account. A new tweet this week reveals that Google was also required to hand over her account data. In an email to Elbakyan dated March 2, 2022, Google advises that following a legal process issued by the FBI, Google was required to hand over data associated with Elbakyan’s account. Exactly what data was targeted isn’t made clear but according to Google, a court order required the company to keep the request a secret. “Google received and responded to legal process issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation compelling the release of information related to your Google account,” the email reads. “A court order previously prohibited Google from notifying you of the legal process. We are now permitted to disclose the receipt of the legal process to you.” https://torrentfreak.com/fbi-gains-access-to-sci-hub-founders-google-accoun… Da notare come Alexandra Elbakyan [1] NON sia cittadina statunitense. L'email di Google non riporta la data in cui la richiesta è stata accettata e quali dati (tipologia e periodo temporale) siano stati forniti all'FBI. Ma poiché l'identificativo del procedimento FBI riportato dalla notifica di Google coincide con quello riportato dalla notifica di Apple (18-GI-3650) sappiamo che la richiesta risale al febbraio 2019. Voi che ancora usate i software di queste aziende, mi raccomando: cercate di non dire, pubblicamente o privatamente, scrivere, andare in luoghi, visitare siti o più in generale fare cose che possano urtare efficacemente gli interessi politici ed economici degli USA. Fate i bravi. E non abbiate nulla da nascondergli! Nulla di intimo, personale, riservato... Fate i bravi, insomma Pensate... come si deve. ;-) Giacomo [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Elbakyan

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EduTech interoperability
by Alessandro Brolpito March 3, 2022

March 3, 2022

Dear all, How many software/EduTech apps does a public school in the US use on average? Beth Havinga says 1600 (?!?). While it seems like a huge exaggeration to me, it is clear that interoperability is an increasingly important aspect to be considered by schools and edu system designers, at all levels. Source: https://oecdedutoday.com/oecd-education-webinars/. Alessandro

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Education for peace, education for people
by Alessandro Brolpito March 3, 2022

March 3, 2022

L'uso delle tecnologie nell' istruzione è il mio ambito di lavoro e di ricerca applicata. Coordino, ma forse dovrei già dire coordinavo, due progetti all'ETF, la mia organizzazione, in Ucraina; in questi giorni, abbiamo provato ad andare avanti ma ormai è diventato praticamente impossibile, con contatti sempre più sporadici. E se ci si sente è per sapere se sono ancora vivi... Tutto si ferma e lascia il posto alla guerra e alla distruzione. Un vero dramma. Continuo a credere che "Education for peace, education for people | ETF (europa.eu) <https://www.etf.europa.eu/en/news-and-events/news/education-peace-education…>" e che non appena ci saranno le condizioni si riprenderà, con sempre più determinazione, ma chissà quando, in che modi e con chi poi? Una riflessione: nella mailing list spesso abbiamo discusso della violazione di diritti, dei pericoli derivanti da un "tecnologismo" sfrenato guidato da pochi, che perde il senso dell'umano e che viola i ns diritti. Tutto vero ma non dimentichiamo cosa siamo riusciti a mettere in piedi, per nulla scontato e da sottovalutare... Alessandro

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Joint Statement by the National Academies of the G7 States on Russia’s Attack on Ukraine [WAS: Fwd: Fwd: Joint Statement on Ukraine: Release at 16:00 CET, 2 March 2022
by Diego.Latella March 3, 2022

March 3, 2022

Ricevo da Francesco Calogero e volentieri ritrasmetto DL -------- Original Message -------- SUBJECT: Fwd: Fwd: Joint Statement on Ukraine: Release at 16:00 CET, 2 March 2022 DATE: 2022-03-03 12:06 FROM: Francesco Calogero <francesco.calogero(a)uniroma1.it> TO: Diego Latella <diego.latella(a)isti.cnr.it> -------- Forwarded Message -------- SUBJECT: Fwd: Joint Statement on Ukraine: Release at 16:00 CET, 2 March 2022 DATE: Wed, 2 Mar 2022 18:08:36 +0100 FROM: Giorgio Parisi <giorgio.parisi(a)roma1.infn.it> TO: Francesco Calogero <francesco.calogero(a)uniroma1.it> ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Maria Cristina Marcuzzo <cristina.marcuzzo(a)uniroma1.it> Date: Wed, Mar 2, 2022 at 4:56 PM Subject: Fwd: Joint Statement on Ukraine: Release at 16:00 CET, 2 March 2022 To: giorgio.parisi(a)roma1.infn.it <giorgio.parisi(a)roma1.infn.it> FYI -------- Messaggio Inoltrato -------- OGGETTO: Joint Statement on Ukraine: Release at 16:00 CET, 2 March 2022 DATA: Wed, 2 Mar 2022 14:49:11 +0000 MITTENTE: Leopoldina - Science7 <s7(a)leopoldina.org> A: Leopoldina - International Relations <international(a)leopoldina.org> CC: Koch-Krumrei, Marina <Marina.Koch-Krumrei(a)leopoldina.org>, Leopoldina - Science7 <s7(a)leopoldina.org>, Leopoldina - Praesident <praesident(a)leopoldina.org> Dear colleagues, Thank you for your unanimous support for the joint statement on the situation in Ukraine. Please find attached the final document with all logos and signatures. The official publication will be today at 16:00 CET with a press release from the Leopoldina. At that time, we will also make the statement available on the Leopoldina website. We will forward the joint statement to the National Academy of Ukraine. We will also send it to the German Federal Government and other relevant institutions. We hope that you will take similar measures in terms of publication and dissemination of the joint statement. With best regards Gerald Haug President German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina ____________________________________ Abteilung für Internationale Beziehungen International Relations Department Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina - Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften - German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Jägerberg 1 D-06108 Halle (Saale) Tel. +49 (0)345 47239-832 Fax +49 (0)345 47239-839 _s7(a)leopoldina.org _ www.leopoldina.org [1] Vereinsregisternummer 20649 Steuernummer 110/142/41061 Die Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina ist mit ihren rund 1.600 Mitgliedern aus nahezu allen Wissenschaftsbereichen eine klassische Gelehrtengesellschaft. Sie wurde 2008 zur Nationalen Akademie der Wissenschaften Deutschlands ernannt. In dieser Funktion hat sie zwei besondere Aufgaben: die Vertretung der deutschen Wissenschaft im Ausland sowie die Beratung von Politik und Öffentlichkeit. The Leopoldina is a classical scholarly society and has 1,600 members from almost all branches of science. In 2008, the Leopoldina was appointed as the German National Academy of Sciences and, in this capacity, was invested with two major objectives: representing the German scientific community internationally, and providing policymakers and the public with science-based advice. -- My doctor said: Avoid all non-essential commitments, do long walks, in the evening drink chamomile tea, good wine and eat some dark chocolate. I will follow his wise advice. PS I am not a world's expert on everything. https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/9781786348036_0024 Presidente della Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali dell'Accademia dei Lincei Dipartimento di Fisica Università di Roma ``La Sapienza" Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185, Roma, Italy tel. +390649914311 fax + 390649694323 -- Dott. Diego Latella - Senior Researcher CNR/ISTI, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy (http:www.isti.cnr.it [2]) FM&&T Lab. (http://fmt.isti.cnr.it) CNR/GI-STS (http://gists.pi.cnr.it) https://www.isti.cnr.it/People/D.Latella - ph: +390506212982, fax: +390506212040 =================== The quest for a war-free world has a basic purpose: survival. But if in the process we learn how to achieve it by love rather than by fear, by kindness rather than compulsion; if in the process we learn how to combine the essential with the enjoyable, the expedient with the benevolent, the practical with the beautiful, this will be an extra incentive to embark on this great task. Above all, remember your humanity. -- Sir Joseph Rotblat I don't quite know whether it is especially computer science or its subdiscipline Artificial Intelligence that has such an enormous affection for euphemism. We speak so spectacularly and so readily of computer systems that understand, that see, decide, make judgments, and so on, without ourselves recognizing our own superficiality and immeasurable naivete with respect to these concepts. And, in the process of so speaking, we anesthetise our ability to evaluate the quality of our work and, what is more important, to identify and become conscious of its end use. […] One can't escape this state without asking, again and again: "What do I actually do? What is the final application and use of the products of my work?" and ultimately, "am I content or ashamed to have contributed to this use?" -- Prof. Joseph Weizenbaum ["Not without us", ACM SIGCAS 16(2-3) 2--7 - Aug. 1986] Links: ------ [1] http://www.leopoldina.org/ [2] http://www.isti.cnr.it

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La scuola al mercato dei dati
by Giacomo Tesio March 3, 2022

March 3, 2022

Salve Nexa, vi scrivo per segnalarvi una bella inchiesta di Stefano Zoja pubblicata sul numero di marzo di Altreconomia [1] https://altreconomia.it/la-scuola-italiana-al-mercato-dei-dati/ ``` Quasi nove scuole italiane su dieci si sono affidate alla piattaforma proprietaria di Google. I dati inediti del ministero dell’Istruzione e degli Uffici scolastici regionali nella nostra inchiesta a due anni dall’avvio della Didattica a distanza. ``` L'inchiesta integra, fra le altre, le prospettive sul problema di Giuseppe Attardi (Università di Pisa), Giulia Schneider (Università Cattolica di Milano), Paolo Monella (ricercatore presso la Sapienza di Roma), Enrico Venuto (Politecnico di Torino) e Massimo Carboni (GARR). Stefano ha anche effettuato anche una richiesta di accesso civico al Miur nonché a 18 Uffici Scolastici Regionali. Fra i dati ottenuti, spiccano le percentuali di penetrazione nella scuola italiana di due piattaforme di sorveglianza USA: - Google Suite for Education (86%) - Microsoft 365 Education (18%) con buona pace del GDPR, dei diritti di 8 millioni di futuri elettori e più in generale di qualsiasi velleità democratica di questo Paese. Ah... se solo avessimo anche noi in Italia un Garante della Privacy! Giacomo [1] Mi rendo conto che si tratta di un articolo paywalled, ma oggi sono andato a comprare una copia della rivista, e quando ho visto la splendida copertina che hanno dedicato all'inchiesta, ne ho preso altre tre copie da regalare ai presidi delle scuole delle mie figlie.

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Fwd: 4th Workshop on Digital Humanism - Towards a Research and Innovation Roadmap: 3-4 March 2022
by Enrico Nardelli March 2, 2022

March 2, 2022

-------- Messaggio Inoltrato -------- Oggetto: 4th Workshop on Digital Humanism - Towards a Research and Innovation Roadmap: 3-4 March 2022 Data: Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:16:25 +0000 Dear supporter of Digital Humanism, We are pleased to announce our upcoming workshop (postponed from December): *4th Workshop on Digital Humanism - Towards a Research and Innovation Roadmap* Date and time: *Thursday, March 3 and Friday, March 4, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. CET (UTC+1)* Digital Humanism aims to ensure that the development of digital technologies focuses on human needs and interests. Following the Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism, this workshop will take the initiative one step further towards realizing the vision. While many of the challenges of our digital age have become evident, the solutions to overcoming them are not. Digital technologies are still disrupting our society and putting in question decade-long achievements of democracy, humanism, and the age of Enlightenment. The workshop will address how to advance digital technologies towards realizing inclusion and democratic societies. The workshop will be held as a hybrid event, on-site at the TU Wien in Vienna, Austria and online. In case you want to join us physically, please contact us at dighum(a)ec.tuwien.ac.at <mailto:dighum@ec.tuwien.ac.at>. Or online via Zoom, Youtube Stream, or, for the morning sessions, via the Digital Humanism portal of our media partner Wiener Zeitung - access data see below. Information about the workshop and program: https://dighum.ec.tuwien.ac.at/dighum-2021/ <https://dighum.ec.tuwien.ac.at/dighum-2021/> To participate via Zoom go to: https://tuwien.zoom.us/j/96389928143?pwd=UU5YRkNuRmdoWHV4MFBwMWRCcUErdz09 <https://tuwien.zoom.us/j/96389928143?pwd=UU5YRkNuRmdoWHV4MFBwMWRCcUErdz09> (Password: 0dzqxqiy) The talks will be live streamed and recorded on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/digitalhumanism <https://www.youtube.com/digitalhumanism> Digital Humanism portal of Wiener Zeitung: https://www.wienerzeitung.at/dossiers/digitaler-humanismus/ <https://www.wienerzeitung.at/dossiers/digitaler-humanismus/> We are looking forward to seeing you! The organizers Peter Knees, Julia Neidhardt, Erich Prem ----- Sign the Vienna Manifesto: https://dighum.ec.tuwien.ac.at <https://dighum.ec.tuwien.ac.at> Follow us on Twitter @DigHumTUWien ----- -- EN ===================================================================== Prof. Enrico Nardelli Direttore Laboratorio Nazionale "Informatica e Scuola" del CINI Dipartimento di Matematica - Universita' di Roma "Tor Vergata" Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc - 00133 Roma tel: +39 06 7259.4204 fax: +39 06 7259.4699 mobile: +39 335 590.2331 e-mail: nardelli(a)mat.uniroma2.it home page: http://www.mat.uniroma2.it/~nardelli blog: http://link-and-think.blogspot.it/ ===================================================================== -- -- EN ===================================================================== Prof. Enrico Nardelli Direttore Laboratorio Nazionale "Informatica e Scuola" del CINI Dipartimento di Matematica - Universita' di Roma "Tor Vergata" Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc - 00133 Roma tel: +39 06 7259.4204 fax: +39 06 7259.4699 mobile: +39 335 590.2331 e-mail: nardelli(a)mat.uniroma2.it home page: http://www.mat.uniroma2.it/~nardelli blog: http://link-and-think.blogspot.it/ ===================================================================== --

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NB65 set to shut down Russian airspace #Anonymous #OpRussia – Prioritize Your Privacy
by Alberto Cammozzo March 2, 2022

March 2, 2022

<https://prioritizeprivacy.wordpress.com/2022/03/01/nb65-set-to-shut-down-ru…> Earlier today a group of hackers known as the NB65 (Network Battalion) gained access to the Russians space system and might force it to shutdown if Putin is not willing to withdraw troops from Ukraine Here’s is how a preview of how it went down We won't stop until you stop. pic.twitter.com/Cy1kiAN0bc <https://t.co/Cy1kiAN0bc> — NB65 (@xxNB65) March 1, 2022 <https://twitter.com/xxNB65/status/1498563301525102594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> pic.twitter.com/UwW9a6drmS <https://t.co/UwW9a6drmS> — NB65 (@xxNB65) March 1, 2022 <https://twitter.com/xxNB65/status/1498563590873300993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> pic.twitter.com/EAfh7ba1mt <https://t.co/EAfh7ba1mt> — NB65 (@xxNB65) March 1, 2022 <https://twitter.com/xxNB65/status/1498563748226809861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> La risposta russa non si fa attendere. <https://www.rt.com/russia/551061-russia-space-agency-cyber-attack-response/> The chief of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, has warned hackers attempting to disrupt the operation of the country’s satellites that their actions could be construed as a /“casus belli – that is, an event that justifies a war.”/ Dmitry Rogozin’s comment came shortly after a cyberattack on Russia’s RKA Mission Control Center. Speaking to Russia’s Rossiya 24 news channel on Wednesday, the official said that /“those who are attempting to do this”/ should know that /“it is a crime, which calls for a very severe punishment.” /

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Sulla "sovranità digitale" (europea): Kasperky et al...
by Damiano Verzulli March 2, 2022

March 2, 2022

Come evidenziato anche dal nostro Stefano Quintarelli [*], le cronache recenti dovrebbero accendere qualche faro sulle implicazioni dettate dall'uso di "software" prodotto da entita' terze. Per dirla con le parole di Stefano (che discuteva di Kaspersky): "/Dopo l’aggressione russa con l’ingiustificata invasione dell’Ucraina, forse si potrebbe porre la questione dell’opportunità di una riflessione a lungo termine in merito a chi affidare la scansione di tutti i contenuti digitali (con antivirus ed altre tecnologie), in particolare di quelli ospitati nelle organizzazioni pubbliche e private che rientrano nel “perimetro cibernetico” italiano./" Ritengo sia riduttivo --pero'--, stante il contesto di questa lista, limitare questo ragionamento solo a Kaspersky. Perche' un software installato su qualche milione di PC Italiani (l'AV di kasperky) "è male".... ed invece un software installato su qualche decina di milioni di smartphone (Android), non dovrebbe meritare almeno la stessa attenzione? Perchè se un ipotetico "click" fatto su una console di gestione (che è evidentemente in esecuzione a Mosca), puo' scatenare quegli antivirus installati (anche in Italia ed in Europa) e... ad esempio, _ELIMINARE_ tutti i file presenti sul sistema locale.... è un fatto che "ci preoccupa" ma.... ...un analogo ipotetico "click", fatto a "Mountain View", che comporterebbe il blocco di tutti gli smartphone.... non produce la stessa sensazione? O anche un "click" che blocchi tutte le caselle di GMAIL... di O365..... tutte le VM ospitate su Azure.... su AWS.... ....oppure lo shutdown di Twitter.... di WhatsApp.... Io auspicherei che le orribili vicende di questi giorni rappresentassero una (tristissima) occasione di riflessione "alta", "seria" ed a "lunghissimo termine" su questi temi. Qualcosa che su questa lista gia' era abbastanza presente con l'etichetta "Sovranita' Digitale". Qualcosa che questo "gruppo" puo' certamente favorire/stimolare. Ma il cammino è ancora molto lungo. ...tanto per essere chiari: alle raccomandazioni che l'Agenzia per la Cybersecurity Nazionale ha _CORRETTAMENTE_ emanato un paio di giorni fa, in relazione alla situazione ucraina [2]... e che sono state ricevute da molti "tecnici" nei vari Atenei del nostro Paese... il commento piu' diffuso, raccolto (da me) è: "Ok. tutto vero. Ma... chi lo fa?". Semplicemente non è rimasto piu' nessuno.... oppure, chi c'è, è ormai vicino alla pensione... Probabilmente la risposta da dare è: "chiamate il commerciale Google o Microsoft. Ci penseranno loro". E, ripeto, parliamo di _ATENEI_. Che sia il caso di iniziare a ragionarci sopra? Saluti, DV [*] https://www.ilpost.it/stefanoquintarelli/2022/02/27/easter-egg-russia-e-kas… [2] https://csirt.gov.it/contenuti/innalzare-la-postura-difensiva-in-relazione-… -- Damiano Verzulli e-mail:damiano@verzulli.it --- possible?ok:while(!possible){open_mindedness++} --- "...I realized that free software would not generate the kind of income that was needed. Maybe in USA or Europe, you may be able to get a well paying job as a free software developer, but not here [in Africa]..." -- Guido Sohne - 1973-2008 http://ole.kenic.or.ke/pipermail/skunkworks/2008-April/005989.html

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Paper: "Publicizing Corporate Secrets for Public Good"
by J.C. DE MARTIN March 1, 2022

March 1, 2022

*Publicizing Corporate Secrets for Public Good* University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Vol. 171 81 Pages Posted: Christopher Morten Columbia Law School; Yale Law School Date Written: February 13, 2022 Abstract Federal regulatory agencies in the United States hold a treasure trove of valuable information essential to a functional society. Yet little of this immense and nominally “public” resource is accessible to the public. That worrying phenomenon is particularly true for the valuable information that agencies hold on powerful private actors. Corporations regularly shield vast swaths of the information they share with federal regulatory agencies from public view, claiming that the information contains legally protected trade secrets (or other proprietary “confidential commercial information”). Federal agencies themselves have largely acceded to these claims and even fueled them, by construing restrictively various doctrines of law, including trade secrecy law, freedom of information law, and constitutional law. Today, these laws—and fear of these laws—have reduced to a trickle the flow of information that the public can access. This should not and need not be the case. This article challenges the conventional wisdom that trade secrecy law restricts public agencies’ power to publicize private businesses’ secrets. In fact, federal agencies, and regulatory agencies especially, have long held and still hold statutory and constitutional authority to obtain and divulge otherwise secret information on private actors, when doing so serves the public interest. For many regulatory agencies, that authority extends even to bona fide trade secrets. In an age of “informational capitalism,” this disclosure authority makes U.S. federal regulatory agencies uniquely valuable—and perhaps uniquely dangerous. Building on recent work that explores this right in the context of drugs and vaccines, and drawing heavily from scholarship in privacy and information law, the article proposes a practical framework that regulators can use to publicize secret information in a way that maximizes public benefit and minimizes private harm. Rather than endorse unconstrained information disclosure—transparency for transparency’s sake—this article instead proposes controlled “information publicity,” in which regulators cultivate carefully bounded “gardens” of secret information. Within these gardens, agencies admit only certain users and certain uses of information. Drawing on existing but largely overlooked real-world examples, the article shows that regulators can effectively and selectively publicize trade secret information to noncommercial users while thwarting commercial uses. Regulators can protect trade secrets’ integrity vis-à-vis competitors while simultaneously unlocking new, socially valuable uses. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4041556

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Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute
by Giovanni De Gregorio Feb. 28, 2022

Feb. 28, 2022

Dear all, this is to share with you that we have recently open the call for applications for the Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute which will be held at Jesus College, Oxford on 1-12 August 2022 http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/oxford-media-policy-summer-institute-2022/ After a two-year break due to covid, we are looking forward to welcome participants and speakers back in Oxford the first two weeks of August. Join us to discuss contemporary issues of global media policy over breakfast, during seminars and on long walks through the Oxford countryside! The course for 2022 will focus on Technology and Policy During Times of Crisis. We will examine key issues in media law and policy- topics may include AI and online content moderation of extreme speech; internet shutdowns during elections and conflict; public diplomacy in a time of mis/disinformation; big data and humanitarian interventions; social media and migration; and innovation in the global south. With the participation of speakers from around the world, we will be exploring media policy in current events such as the escalating crisis in Ukraine, media development under the Taliban in Afghanistan, and online hate speech and conflict in Ethiopia. We will also use our vantage point from the UK to discuss emerging issues in the EU and engage with local actors including Ofcom and the BBC. As with institutes in the past, we will have speakers from across Oxford as well as prominent guests from policy and government, and the private sector. In case you are interested, just feel free to let me know. Best wishes Giovanni De Gregorio

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