Podcast Summary
A world where digital tools enhance democracy: Taiwan's successful use of digital tools for transparency and civic participation offers a vision for a digital democracy that combats misinformation and promotes consensus
A digital democratic future can be hopeful and transformative if we aim for technology to enhance, rather than detract from, the democratic process. Taiwan's experience, as shared by its Digital Minister Audrey Tang, offers an inspiring example. Imagine a world where digital tools facilitate radical transparency, civic participation, and rough consensus. This vision, though ambitious, is not far-fetched. Taiwan, which faced protests for greater transparency in 2014, saw Audrey install communication systems to keep the public informed. This successful initiative led to the creation of a "listening society," where digital tools combat misinformation and promote consensus. The world can learn from Taiwan's example and strive for a digital democracy that truly listens to each citizen, creating an information environment grounded in truth.
Students and NPOs came together during a three-week occupation of the parliament in Taiwan to discuss a contentious cross-strait agreement using technology.: Technology enabled mass protests and amplified civic engagement, leading to a strong consensus against allowing PRC components in 4g infrastructure and inspiring the creation of a more participatory and functional civic tech infrastructure called GovZero.
During a three-week occupation of the parliament in Taiwan in 2014, students and NPOs came together to discuss a contentious cross-strait service and trade agreement. This was facilitated through technological means, such as live streaming meetings and IRC chat rooms, allowing a large online audience to engage and support the activists on the ground. The successful integration of mass protests and technology resulted in a strong consensus against allowing PRC components in 4g infrastructure. The GovZero movement, which aims to create a more participatory and functional civic tech infrastructure, was inspired by this moment in history. The idea for GovZero began with the registration of the domain name gzerov.tw and the creation of a shadow government that worked better for the people. This was in response to a controversial government advertisement promoting an authoritarian approach to policy-making. The success of this movement highlights the power of technology to amplify and connect activism and civic engagement.
The Power of Open-Source Technology and Public Participation in Driving Change: Open-source technology and public participation can challenge traditional power structures and bring about new political will, even in the face of resistance.
During the 2014 mayoral elections in Taiwan, open-source technology and public participation played a crucial role in bringing about a new political will. The government, previously known for its conservatism, recognized the demands for transparency and openness, leading to the adoption of these practices. Audrey Tang, an outside advocate for these tools, mentored government officials on their use, eventually becoming a reverse mentor to the Minister for Law and Cyberspace Law. This story highlights the power of open-source technology and public participation in driving change, even when facing resistance from traditional power structures. The use of collaborative editing documents, spreadsheets, real-time chat, and open-source code allowed for consensus building and the merging of better practices. The threat of public occupation served as an implicit pressure for the government to stay on this path towards openness.
A consensus-building platform in Taiwan: The PollDot tool uses a simple interface, multi-dimensional sentiment visualization, and supermajority consensus to encourage agreement on contentious issues, such as contact tracing apps, while keeping data collection in the hands of the people.
The Wiki survey tool, PollDot, used in Taiwan, is an impressive consensus-building platform that uses a simple user interface, no reply buttons, and a visualization of sentiments in multi-dimensional space to attract consensus rather than distract. The tool automatically identifies contentious points and clusters people with shared sentiments. By giving agenda-setting power only to proposals that can convince a supermajority, it encourages resonance across different groups. An example of this is the consensus on using a health information recorder on a phone for contact tracing, which protects privacy while providing necessary information. The initial proposals for such tools are stimulated by data coalitions, where people contribute real-time data, such as air quality information, to create a diverse network and provide precise data for decision-making. This approach contrasts with other data control regimes by putting data collection in the hands of the people and providing real-time, local information.
Innovative solutions using real-time data integration: Real-time data integration leads to community engagement, evidence-based policy making, and new technologies for various issues like air quality, disaster relief, and mask supply.
The integration of real-time environmental and social data into an in-place computing environment can lead to innovative solutions for various issues, from air quality to disaster relief and even mask supply during a pandemic. This infrastructure allows for community engagement and collaboration between the public and private sectors, resulting in evidence-based policy making and new technologies. For instance, the use of civic sensors for climate change and water pollution, or the implementation of mask availability maps during the COVID-19 crisis. These initiatives foster transparency, trust, and self-interest, ultimately improving overall well-being and safety.
Community monitoring and participation in Taiwan: Taiwan's strong community involvement leads to fairness, efficiency, and accountability in economic allocations and law enforcement, exemplified by real-time mask tracking using civic tech and active citizen reporting.
In Taiwan, a strong sense of community monitoring and participation plays a crucial role in ensuring fairness and efficiency in economic allocations and law enforcement. This was exemplified in their response to the coronavirus pandemic, where civic tech hackers developed a solution to track mask availability in real-time using a distributed ledger, ensuring accurate stock levels and participatory accountability. This culture of community involvement also extends to law enforcement, where citizens actively monitor and report any unfairness or violations, creating a positive feedback loop that encourages self-correction and resolution. The Taiwanese model of public-private partnership is unique in that it reverses the traditional order, with the social sector leading the way in innovation and the public sector adapting to meet local needs. This responsiveness and speed of feedback are key to the success of these systems, setting a contrast to many other countries where such a level of interaction between government and citizens may not be as prevalent.
Collaborative Effort to Create Mask Shortage Map App in Taiwan: Government, private sector, and activists worked together to create a mask shortage map app during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. Effective tools for building consensus and sharing information can make formal power structures less important.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, a collaborative effort between the government, private sector, and activists led to the creation of a mask shortage map app within 48 hours. This success was due to the existing consensus and demand for the app, as well as the quick action of the digital minister and team. The tools and platforms used to build consensus and facilitate information sharing have the potential to make formal power structures less important, as seen historically with the evolution of democracy. The goal is to create a self-driving vehicle of government, but for now, we coexist with representative democracy. Taiwan, despite being a target for China's disinformation and propaganda campaigns, has managed to weather the storm by utilizing effective tools for building and signaling consensus, allowing for more efficient problem-solving and reducing disagreements among stakeholders.
Using humor to combat grassroots misinformation: Humor can effectively neutralize the spread of grassroots rumors during an infodemic. Fact-checking and transparency are crucial for combating deliberate misinformation campaigns.
During an infodemic, sources of misinformation come from both grassroots emotions and deliberate campaigns. To combat the former, the use of humor can effectively neutralize the spread of rumors by making people unable to feel outrage towards the conspiracy theories. For instance, during the rumor of tissue paper confiscation in China, the government responded with a humorous message from the premier, which went viral and helped reduce panic. In contrast, for deliberate campaigns, fact-checking and attribution work are essential to expose the origin of the misinformation and inform the public about its political nature. For example, during the Taiwanese presidential election, a viral message about rioters paying young people to murder police was traced back to Chinese Communist Party propaganda units, and Facebook was asked to publish a fact-check notice retroactively on previously shared posts. Overall, a combination of humor, fact-checking, and transparency can help mitigate the impact of misinformation during an infodemic.
Using humor to combat misinformation: Encouraging transparency, involving the public in policy creation, and using humor to address misinformation are effective strategies against disinformation campaigns.
Using humor as a strategy to combat misinformation and conspiracy theories is an effective approach, especially when it comes from domestic or organic sources. This strategy works by making the premier or government the butt of the joke, rather than mocking the person spreading the rumor. However, if the misinformation is spread rapidly and virally, it may be challenging to keep up with. In such cases, inviting those who spread the rumors to co-create policies to address their concerns can be an effective solution. This approach has been successful in a country of 23 million people, with a text filing system receiving a 94% approval rating due to thousands of people feeling ownership and involvement in its creation. As technology companies and governments grapple with the issue of disinformation, lessons can be learned from this approach. Encouraging transparency, involving the public in policy creation, and using humor to address misinformation are potential solutions. Additionally, governments must ensure they are structured to respond quickly and effectively to misinformation campaigns.
Technologies for Inclusive Lawmaking: Technologies like crowd-sourced lawmaking and radical transparency can make lawmaking more inclusive, legitimate, and time-efficient by removing barriers and engaging underrepresented groups. Democratic governments can effectively function in the digital age by embracing these innovations.
Technologies can significantly enhance public engagement in lawmaking, making it more inclusive, legitimate, and time-efficient. Audrey Tang, a digital minister in Taiwan, shared her experiences implementing such technologies, including crowd-sourced lawmaking and radical transparency. By removing barriers like the reply button and including underrepresented groups, lawmakers can gain a supermajority of trust and reduce political risk. Organizations like GovLab and Radical Exchange are working to spread these practices in the US and beyond. Imagine if civic hackers built parallel websites using these tools for the public interest. By embracing these innovations, democratic governments can effectively function in the 21st century digital context. For more information, check out Audrey's work and the resources available on our website.
The role of foundations in driving positive change: Foundations play a crucial role in driving positive change by providing financial resources, expertise, networks, and a commitment to long-term impact. Their collaborative efforts with organizations create sustainable solutions and address complex societal challenges.
The impact of philanthropy extends far beyond the generosity of individual donors. The discussion highlighted several foundations, including Omidyar Network, Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman Foundation, Patrick J McGovern Foundation, Evolve Foundation, and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, which have all made significant contributions. These foundations, and many others, play a crucial role in driving positive change and supporting various causes. Their investments not only provide financial resources but also bring expertise, networks, and a commitment to long-term impact. This collaborative effort between foundations and the organizations they support is essential in creating sustainable solutions and addressing complex societal challenges. It's a reminder that philanthropy is a powerful force for good and that the collective efforts of these organizations can make a meaningful difference in the world.
