Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MEDIA4SEC (The emerging role of new social media in enhancing public security)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2017-10-01 do 2018-12-31
smart ‘work-arounds’ is key, while respecting privacy, legislation, and ethics. This changing situation raises a series of challenges and possibilities for public security planners. MEDI@4SEC will explore this through a series of communication and dissemination activities that engage extensively with a range of end-users to better understand the usage of social media for security activities. MEDI@4SEC will seek a better understanding of how social media can, and how social media cannot be used for public security purposes and highlight ethical, legal and data-protection- related issues and implications. Activities centre around six relevant themes: DIY Policing; Everyday security; Riots and mass gatherings: The dark web; Trolling; and Innovative market solutions. MEDI@4SEC will feed into, support and influence changes in policy-making and policy implementation in public security that can be used by end-users to improve their decision making. By structuring our understanding of the impact of social media on public security approaches in a user-friendly way MEDI@4SEC will provide an evidence-base and roadmap for better policymaking including: best practice reports; a catalogue of social media technologies; recommendations for EU standards; future training options; and, ethical awareness raising.
WP2 has further contributed to the knowledge base developed in WP1. A fine-grained user survey was conducted with experts to better understand stakeholders’ concerns and needs. The findings from this are published in D2.1. The focus of WP2 activity has been through the hosting of 3 dialogue workshops: DIY Policing (Workshop 1, Berlin (D2.3)) Riots and Mass Gatherings (Workshop 2, Athens (D2.4)) Policing the Dark Web (Workshop 3, The Hague (D2.5)) Social Media and Everyday Security (Workshop 4, Barcelona (D2.6)) Trolling & Online Hate (Workshop 5, London (D2.7)) and Innovative market Solutions (Workshop 6, Brussels (D2.8)). Alongside - and utilising information from – the workshops we have identified a range of existing technologies and solutions for the use of social media for public security and understanding the potential for future developments. This is available as a catalogue (D2.2 and available via the project website) which will be integrated within the wider work of DRIVER+.
Work in WP 3 has established the framework and tools to ensure our communication and dissemination activities maximise the benefit and impact of the MEDI@4SEC Project. A Communication and Dissemination Strategy and Plan was established through D3.1. This has been operationalised through a series of interlinked activities including the establishment and updating of the project website (D3.2) the creation of a LinkedIn group and Twitter profile and regular communication to the growing MEDI@4SEC community (D3.3). This work continued through the second half of the project, continuing to engage our MEDI@4SEC Community through evidence based dialogue and information exchange (D3.4). This Work Package has culminated with the publication of a future road map for the adoption and appropriate use of social media (D3.5) together with a framework syllabus for the development of training which will assist in its implementation (D3.6).
The activities in WP4 have supported work completed in WP1 and WP2. This has included a background analysis of the workshop topics and identification of ethicists and legal experts to invite to each of them and ethical advice on the qualitative research. Significantly, work in WP has reported on the ethical and legal dimensions of each of the themes discussed at the dialogue workshops (D4.1 to D4.6 inclusive). An overall summary of the critical ethical and legal issues identifying the main challenges moving forward was prepared to conclude this work (D4.7).
WP5 has been focussed on the effective and efficient management of the project. These include the organisation of consortium meetings to address progress, properly communicating with the EC and continuous monitoring of the project budget and assisting partners with budget and task allocation. WP main outputs include the submission of D5.1 D5.2 and D5.3 together with the organisation of and production of notes for GA/EB and WP meetings.
Through its activities MEDI@4SEC has had significant impact influencing policy and practice of public security planning, policing activities and the lives of citizens. We have met and gone beyond the impact challenges outlined in the original call text by advancing knowledge and understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of using social media in a range of contexts (DIY policing, riots and mass gathering, everyday policing, the dark web, trolling and innovative market solution) and developed a future roadmap of social media use for public security planners comprising directions for future training, standards, research agendas, technological developments, ethical and legal frameworks, and future recommendations for effective and acceptable social media use.