Youth flash talks with IG experts: Data

Event report

Co-moderated by Mr Maciej Groń (Director, International Policy Department, Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs) and Ms Ihita Gangavarapu (Researcher, India Youth IGF), the session aimed to address data governance, data ethics, and other data related issues.

According to Mr Dariusz Jemielniak (Board of Trustees, Wikimedia Foundation), Wikipedia is regarded as the largest repository of knowledge, despite criticism coming from academia. He noted that the academic world does not appreciate it as much as they should and does not always consider Wikipedia a ‘serious’ business. Some academics claim, among other things, that Wikipedia is not a reliable source and that it is a source of plagiarism.

That said, the landscape is slowly changing, and more and more prestigious associations, such as the American Sociological Association, are supporting Wikipedia.

One of the major challenges faced by Wikipedia is the substantial discrepancy between the Global North and the Global South in terms of contributions, Jemielniak noted. He also made reference to the large disbalance between dominant languages and other languages. To this end, he urged the users to do their share, make space for the less-heard voices, and contribute to Wikipedia’s content.

On the question of governance, he highlighted that freedom of speech is key, as well as good corporate law. He noted that current corporate laws are geared towards corporations, rather than authors.