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Description
Addiction to Internet is the source of social phenomena, such as online bullying, cyberbullying, intolerance, hate speech, conspiracy theories, identity theft, rapid spread of negative content etc. These phenomena are driven by the hidden algorithmic structure of social networks that use mass processing of personal data, capturing our attention and increasing screen views. Most vulnerable are youth and elderly people.
The project “Privacy Defenders” plan to achieve contribution to combating Internet addiction and related problems through:
- Education and building capacity of lead partner (10 – 15 members) for further provision of education about digital literacy, basic digital rights and data protection to vulnerable groups and for advocacy work – provided by the local partner Association Politiscope and the Electronic Frontier Norway (donor country partner)
- education of 40 young people (student of local school) and customized education of 10 elderly people (members of local association) about digital rights and privacy - proved by 10 trained and mentored lead partner members
- advocacy workshops for young people, and
- awareness-raising activities to target young people from the wider local region during the “Jailhouse” festival and conducted by educated volunteers (20).
Education of retired people will contribute to intergeneration solidarity and cooperation with youth.
Within advocacy workshops, young people will be mentored for creating a short policy brief and to actively and responsibly advocate privacy and data protection in their community. Besides, an online privacy resource center for young people will be created in the form of a website, targeting youth in Croatia and the wider region.
As part of the project, special emphasis will be placed on the harmful effects on health resulting from excessive use of social networks that hack our brains, and the use of addictive digital products that significantly reduce the quality of life.
Summary of project results
Numerous contemporary political and social negative phenomena have their origins in the digital environment: fake news, conspiracy theories, online violence and bullying, terrorism and violence by right-wing extremists, intolerance towards minorities and migrants, inflammatory speech and hate speech, uncivilized public space, increasing social split through identity policies and topics, etc. a Citizen of the new millennium must also be digitally/technologically literate, must know his basic and digital rights, how to protect his own privacy and personal data and, extremely important - how as an individual to effectively and consciously contribute to the suppression of negative digital social and political trends.
An educational module on privacy, digital rights and the technological structure of privatized digital public spaces was created.
Members of the pensioners'' association were trained on the most common forms of fraud, fake news and negative digital phenomena and mentoring workshops on advocacy. We have created an online privacy resource center for young people, in the form of a website.
The following results were achieved:
1. Education and awareness of young people of the local community about privacy, fundamental and digital rights, the technological structure of privatized digital public spaces
2. Education and awareness of members of the wider local community about privacy and fundamental and digital rights by young people
3. Increasing the general public''s awareness of the negative effects of unconscious use of social networks and digital products through the implementation of youth advocacy activities
Summary of bilateral results
Until the implementation of this project, NUM had no public advocacy experience outside the local community. The mentoring workshop conducted by partner EFN on public advocacy and the participatory creation of the Advocacy Plan greatly strengthened NUM''s public advocacy capacities.With the support of a partner organization, a NUM employee and a representative of the partner organization Politiscope jointly created and implemented an education on privacy and personal data for elementary school students.