Periodic Reporting for period 4 - ConflictNET (The Politics and Practice of Social Media in Conflict)
Reporting period: 2022-02-01 to 2024-01-31
Over the last few years there have been unprecedented efforts to extend the reach of the Internet to the world’s most challenging regions. These efforts largely build on a conception of the Internet and social media as ‘liberation technologies’ that can help people realize human rights, improve access to services or reduce corruption. However, there has been far less discussion about the impact of extending Internet access to conflict-affected regions where the state is weak or has limited reach. The ConflictNET team was able to ask difficult questions that are often overlooked including the role of social media platforms, and increasingly AI, in conflict in Africa.
The project blended online research investigating how the technical, ideational, and legal frameworks being created to encourage certain uses while discouraging others, with the offline implications of social media and new technologies, grounding their use in the everyday politics and practices in conflict-affected societies. Several objectives included
1. Tactics and Strategies to Shape the Information Environment: We examined the role of different actors (e.g. companies, governments, international organizations) in conflict settings as they use and respond to the increasing importance of social media, and how they attempted to extend or restrict their use.
2. Conflict and Peace Online: We analyzed the online dimensions of conflict, its calls for offline actions (such as violence, encouraging peace or promoting political agendas) and how social media are changing (either empowering or disempowering) who has a voice in conflict.
3. Local Governance: We sought to identify patterns and changes in how different actors are innovating to use social media to extend power and influence and affect violence, governance, security and justice in areas of conflict.
4. Migration: We focused on how social media impacts migratory routes, particularly those coming from the Horn of Africa, with an emphasis on intra-African migration and we examined how new technology has a role for providing justice and security for marginalized migrant communities in areas where the state is weak or does not offer protection.
ConflictNet addressed many critical issues that societies around the world are grappling with, including how to address online hate speech that might lead to violence and how social media is changing the ways people migrate, particularly from the Horn of Africa. It also focused on contemporary issues such as the growing trend of internet shutdowns and AI policy. In many respects the future of the internet is being fought and debated at the peripheries- in Africa- and this project engaged with some of the most critical issues that are arising there with implications for all citizens across Europe.
The project blended online research investigating how the technical, ideational, and legal frameworks being created to encourage certain uses while discouraging others, with the offline implications of social media and new technologies, grounding their use in the everyday politics and practices in conflict-affected societies. Several objectives included
1. Tactics and Strategies to Shape the Information Environment: We examined the role of different actors (e.g. companies, governments, international organizations) in conflict settings as they use and respond to the increasing importance of social media, and how they attempted to extend or restrict their use.
2. Conflict and Peace Online: We analyzed the online dimensions of conflict, its calls for offline actions (such as violence, encouraging peace or promoting political agendas) and how social media are changing (either empowering or disempowering) who has a voice in conflict.
3. Local Governance: We sought to identify patterns and changes in how different actors are innovating to use social media to extend power and influence and affect violence, governance, security and justice in areas of conflict.
4. Migration: We focused on how social media impacts migratory routes, particularly those coming from the Horn of Africa, with an emphasis on intra-African migration and we examined how new technology has a role for providing justice and security for marginalized migrant communities in areas where the state is weak or does not offer protection.
ConflictNet addressed many critical issues that societies around the world are grappling with, including how to address online hate speech that might lead to violence and how social media is changing the ways people migrate, particularly from the Horn of Africa. It also focused on contemporary issues such as the growing trend of internet shutdowns and AI policy. In many respects the future of the internet is being fought and debated at the peripheries- in Africa- and this project engaged with some of the most critical issues that are arising there with implications for all citizens across Europe.
When the project was proposed, the world of social media and new technologies in Africa was significantly different. The use of AI in Africa was on the horizon and internet shutdowns were isolated events and not nearly as prevalent as they are now. Within the framework of the ConflictNet proposal, had to adapt to a rapidly changing technological space and political context.
The project began by focusing on the development of a conceptual framework focusing on new technologies in conflict-affected regions and research on the tactics and strategies to shape the internet in Africa. Our focus has been on understanding the legal environment (including the role of non-state law), the relationship between online speech and offline violence, as well as how AI is beginning to alter the governance environment. We also probed key trends, such as the range of information controls, particularly in conflict situations, as well as broader efforts by international actors to shape internet governance on the continent.
We subsequently moved to understand how the internet has been transforming migration, with a special focus on intra-Africa migration. We examined the politics of return, and engagement with home communities, an often-neglected area. ConlictNet also considered online dimensions of conflict, including online hate speech and the role of algorithms. The project adopted a bottom-up approach to new technologies, including AI and social media, to understand how governance (both formal and informal) is being transformed.
We had a large transnational team involving researchers in Africa and Europe, with a range of disciplinary backgrounds (from legal scholars to anthropologists) and we collaborated closely with institutions in Africa. Our publications have appeared, or are being considered, by top journals in across disciplines. The ConflictNet team participated in more than two dozen events and organized several major conferences and workshops in Oxford, Johannesburg and Addis Ababa.
The project began by focusing on the development of a conceptual framework focusing on new technologies in conflict-affected regions and research on the tactics and strategies to shape the internet in Africa. Our focus has been on understanding the legal environment (including the role of non-state law), the relationship between online speech and offline violence, as well as how AI is beginning to alter the governance environment. We also probed key trends, such as the range of information controls, particularly in conflict situations, as well as broader efforts by international actors to shape internet governance on the continent.
We subsequently moved to understand how the internet has been transforming migration, with a special focus on intra-Africa migration. We examined the politics of return, and engagement with home communities, an often-neglected area. ConlictNet also considered online dimensions of conflict, including online hate speech and the role of algorithms. The project adopted a bottom-up approach to new technologies, including AI and social media, to understand how governance (both formal and informal) is being transformed.
We had a large transnational team involving researchers in Africa and Europe, with a range of disciplinary backgrounds (from legal scholars to anthropologists) and we collaborated closely with institutions in Africa. Our publications have appeared, or are being considered, by top journals in across disciplines. The ConflictNet team participated in more than two dozen events and organized several major conferences and workshops in Oxford, Johannesburg and Addis Ababa.
This research has been high risk, but high gain given how fast moving the field is and how contemporary (and often sensitive) the issues are. ConflictNet was thoroughly interdisciplinary (also reflected in the postdoctoral researchers and research assistants working on the project- lawyers, anthropologists, political scientists, and African studies, with backgrounds in both qualitative and quantitative research). Our interdisciplinary team supported the development of a unique, critical and bottom-up perspective to technology and governance that characterized our research.
We engaged in a range of methods from policy analysis (of AI policies, social media policies, terms of service/community standards) to legal analysis (hate speech) to survey research to ethnographic (among migrant communities) and in-depth case study work (among government/policymakers/public authorities). The ability to innovate methodologically was central to ConflictNet and the real benefit of a long-term ERC project.
We focused on efforts to shape the information environment in ways that can favour specific uses (and interests) of the Internet and social media, while discouraging others. Building on a large dataset of interviews (tech sector, government, advocacy groups), policies, discourse analysis of media/social media engagement by those in government, we focused on both the role (or not) of law and policy in addressing concerns around harmful speech, as well as force (including internet shutdowns).
We developed innovative methods for looking at hate speech online in hard to reach and conflict-affected environments. Our team gathered a large data set comprised of thousands of survey responses about definitions of online hate speech, flagging/identifying such speech, and who can/should respond. This was followed with focus groups. The ConflictNet team started with an assumption that was challenged through our data- namely the importance of social media and new technologies in the journeys of migrants. We worked towards understanding whether and how social media are changing the networks and opportunities for exit from, and entry to, conflict-affected communities as well as continued engagement on justice issues between the host community and home community. We placed emphasis on the experience of migrants from the Horn of Africa in Kenya and South Africa (intra-Africa migration) through engaging in intensive field work at the community level in with an emphasis on technology and access to justice.
We engaged in a range of methods from policy analysis (of AI policies, social media policies, terms of service/community standards) to legal analysis (hate speech) to survey research to ethnographic (among migrant communities) and in-depth case study work (among government/policymakers/public authorities). The ability to innovate methodologically was central to ConflictNet and the real benefit of a long-term ERC project.
We focused on efforts to shape the information environment in ways that can favour specific uses (and interests) of the Internet and social media, while discouraging others. Building on a large dataset of interviews (tech sector, government, advocacy groups), policies, discourse analysis of media/social media engagement by those in government, we focused on both the role (or not) of law and policy in addressing concerns around harmful speech, as well as force (including internet shutdowns).
We developed innovative methods for looking at hate speech online in hard to reach and conflict-affected environments. Our team gathered a large data set comprised of thousands of survey responses about definitions of online hate speech, flagging/identifying such speech, and who can/should respond. This was followed with focus groups. The ConflictNet team started with an assumption that was challenged through our data- namely the importance of social media and new technologies in the journeys of migrants. We worked towards understanding whether and how social media are changing the networks and opportunities for exit from, and entry to, conflict-affected communities as well as continued engagement on justice issues between the host community and home community. We placed emphasis on the experience of migrants from the Horn of Africa in Kenya and South Africa (intra-Africa migration) through engaging in intensive field work at the community level in with an emphasis on technology and access to justice.