Summary of our webinar on transparency reporting for smaller tech companies

On 8 April Tech Against Terrorism organised a webinar together with the GIFCT aimed at sharing best practice with smaller tech platforms on transparency reporting. 

Speakers: 

• Emma Llanso, Director, Freedom of Expression Project, Center for Democracy and Technology 
• Jessica Ashooh, Director of Policy, Reddit 
• Erin Saltman, Head of Counterterrorism & Dangerous Organisation Policy for EMEA at Facebook 

The session was moderated by Tech Against Terrorism’s Flora Deverell. 

At Tech Against Terrorism we have worked with the tech industry on transparency reporting for the past four years, and it is a crucial part of our membership and mentorship programmes. Transparency reporting helps the companies we work with meet the principles around freedom of expression and human rights outlined in the Tech Against Terrorism Pledge, but also provides the research community with more data around terrorist use of the internet. 

This webinar examined current transparency reporting practices within the tech sector, how they have evolved, and where they will go next. It was targeted at sharing best practice with smaller tech companies who want to publish transparency reports that reflect a commitment to accountability in a manner that is not overly burdensome. It was also designed with professionals across the tech policy and counterterrorism sphere in mind. Our speakers shared their insights on some of the benefits and challenges involved in reporting, as well as offering ideas on best practices that could support tech platforms to reach a higher industry standard. 

Speakers highlighted that a transparency report should be regarded less as an obligation and more as an opportunity. If approached in the right way, it can be an excellent way for a company to keep track of what information is and isn’t monitored, and what should be. It also provides a good measure of resource allocation, as companies can see progress measured against the resources devoted to maintaining transparency. This is a particularly useful focus for smaller companies which have fewer resources. All speakers provided concrete recommendations that can help tech companies develop and/or improve their transparency reports. 

To access a recording of the webinar, please get in touch on contact@techagainstterrorism.org.