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Online Safety and Security for Protection of Public-Facing Professionals and Democratic Resilience

Project description

Tackling online harms to protect professionals and democratic resilience

People whose work puts them in the public eye, such as politicians, reporters, teachers, emergency workers and police, face a high volume of online attacks. These attacks can involve harassment, threats and unwanted identification, which can easily impact their professional and personal lives. The volume and nature of attacks also undermine democratic institutions. With this in mind, the EU-funded OSPREY project will develop tools to improve their safety online. It will combine in-depth research, AI technology, targeted training and public awareness campaigns. By developing strategies to prevent and respond to online harms, OSPREY aims to create safer digital spaces. Its outcomes seek to support the well-being of those whose work brings them into the public eye, as well as democratic dialogue and resilience.

Objective

Online Safety and Security for Protection of Public-Facing Professionals and Democratic Resilience

Politician, Reporters, Teachers, Emergency services staff and Police officers are public-facing professionals (PFPs). This means they operate in the public eye with at times dramatic repercussions for their private lives (e.g. ‘trial by social media’, unwanted identification, online harassment and threats to themselves or their families). Online attacks are often framed as a way to ‘redress injustices’ or holding public professionals to account. They, however, can have dramatic negative consequences. Therefore, it is important to better understand the challenges faced by PFPs for their participation in online spaces and provide mechanisms to them and their organisations to effectively safeguard, manage and mitigate against these risks.

OSPREY will build a knowledge base for PFP-specific risks, harms, protection needs and harm impacts, focusing on mapping shared and profession-specific risk profiles and safeguarding requirements; create a comprehensive knowledge-base on attack vectors and motivations of perpetrators across to understand disparate types/motivations (e.g. personal grievances, ideological driven campaigns, foreign political campaigns) to guide improved protection approaches; co-create advanced AI tools, mechanisms and solutions shaped for PFP-specific challenges empowering secure participation in online spaces; toolkits and trainings to improve knowledge of PFPs, their employing organisations, LEAs and law/policy makers how to prevent, manage and mitigate online harms as well as legislate for better safety of PFPs; improve public awareness on online harm impacts, including practical approaches to allyship and bystander activation.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL3-2024-FCT-01

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Coordinator

SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 480 000,00
Address
HOWARD STREET CITY CAMPUS
S1 1WB Sheffield
United Kingdom

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 480 000,00

Participants (15)

Partners (1)

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