In the third and final phase of the “Democracy 2.0″ project by the University of Udine, carried out as part of the PNRR “Youth Researchers” initiative and funded by the European Union, several strategic recommendations were developed, ideally addressed to policymakers in particular and citizens in general. These recommendations are based on the possible scenarios and aim to outline actions that could mitigate the negative effects of undesirable scenarios (against democracy) and enhance the positive effects of desirable scenarios (in favor of democracy).
SUMMARY OF STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
- Promoting digital literacy and universal access
- Ensure access to digital technologies, improve infrastructure, and foster digital education for all ages.
- Integrate critical technological skills into formal and informal educational pathways, including awareness of digital rights and online security.
- Updating rights for the digital age
- Develop a Digital Rights Charter to protect individual and collective freedoms, including new rights such as disconnection, digital erasure, and encryption.
- Enforce and enhance regulations like GDPR and rules on responsible use of data and emerging technologies.
- Safeguarding pluralism and freedom of expression
- Protect media pluralism by supporting independent outlets and regulating surveillance technologies.
- Prevent unjustified censorship, combat disinformation, and ensure the safety of journalists and activists.
- Fostering responsible digital content and quality online discourse
- Strengthen moderation of violent or illegal content while promoting transparency in platform policies.
- Encourage fact-checking, diversify information sources, and reduce polarization driven by algorithms.
- Avoiding concentration of technological power
- Promote a competitive tech ecosystem and regulate digital monopolies, increasing transparency in lobbying and limiting the influence of large tech companies.
- Regulate artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure its responsible and fair development.
- Innovating institutions and enhancing democratic participation
- Strengthen participatory democracy through secure digital platforms and participatory budgeting.
- Experiment with deliberative democracy processes, digital referendums, and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating public policies.
- Promoting an ethical and sustainable economy
- Support ethical business models and sustainable technological solutions, regulate digital labor, and incentivize lifelong learning.
- Redistribute resources through progressive tax policies, reinforce welfare systems, and introduce compensation tools to address technological challenges.
- Fostering widespread education and awareness
- Educate individuals on digital ethics, privacy, and the social impact of technologies while promoting responsible and sustainable consumption practices.
- Encourage inclusion and accessibility to bridge the digital divide, with a focus on disadvantaged populations.
- Ensuring responsible management of AI and algorithms
- Adopt strict standards to prevent discrimination and bias in AI systems, with transparency in the development and use of technologies.
- Monitor the social and political impact of algorithms to ensure a balanced and pluralistic information ecosystem.
- Fostering collaboration between citizens, institutions, and experts
- Create spaces for dialogue and co-creation between civil society, institutions, and the scientific community, promoting collective intelligence.
- Actively involve citizens in decision-making processes and support grassroots initiatives for a more inclusive and transparent digital governance.