Digital Media Action – Monitoring Deployment of Intrusive Technologies

Posted on
Serbia
January - December 2023

BIRN Serbia

Donor:

DTI Fund – Independent Media

Main Objectives:

  • Independent media to influence public agenda through availability of quality information on underreported topics.

Specific Objectives:

  • to provide independent oversight of intrusive digital technologies with a focus on human rights and media freedoms in Serbia.

Main activities:

  • Monitoring will be based on the systematic mapping of the usage of potentially intrusive digital technologies in state institutions and will trace state funding through the public procurement of hardware and software for surveillance and AI, companies involved, services enabled, etc.
  • Media production will focus on the broader societal implications of the usage of intrusive digital technologies, including the implications for journalists and media.
  • Capacity building for journalists will provide understanding of the context on AI, digital/biometric surveillance, teach them the journalistic techniques needed to track developments in this field and its deployment in public sphere.
  • Production and mentoring scheme will serve as an extension of the workshop; it will be provided for at least 5 participants whose story pitches will be commissioned by BIRN.
  • Multimedia campaign will promote media production and the monitoring results and will raise the general public awareness about digital surveillance and algorithmic decision making, how they are governed, and what the potential consequences of their use are.
  • Round table will be organised, gathering various interested stakeholders and steering a public debate about the findings and key project results.

Target Groups:

Media, Journalists, CSOs, Journalists’ associations, Independent institutions: Commissioner for the Data Protection and Free Access to Information, Equality Commissioner, Ombudsman, State institutions and public enterprises.

Main Implementer:

BIRN Serbia