RightsCon Tunis 2019

The Internet is a powerful catalyst for social change, bringing new opportunities for sharing information and connecting social movements across continents. Access to these resources is a key determinant to socioeconomic opportunities, but many communities are met with constant language barriers as they navigate the Internet -- limiting the scope of the information available to them. As policymakers continue to address the growing digital divide, special attention must be paid to underrepresented language users who are continually relegated to the peripheries of the Internet. What obstacles do underrepresented language communities face as a result of their online exclusion? And what role can policymakers, developers, and activists play to bring linguistic diversity to the forefront? Our panel discussion brings together key stakeholders to shed light on the challenges they face, both as Internet users and as individuals working to promote their languages online. The session will discuss issues from digital security risks and economic obstacles to technical challenges when incorporating languages with no script and creating keyboards with new font types. We will also discuss the ways that communities are successfully leveraging technology to preserve and promote language.