Launched in 2018, the original Santa Clara Principles laid out essential transparency practices that companies could adopt to enable stronger accountability around their content moderation practices. The second edition of the principles, dubbed the SCP 2.0, emerged following suggestions by stakeholders for revision. More than 10 countries made 40 sets of recommendations that were used to revise the Principles, but there remained challenges in engaging artists and creatives in the process.

At the same time, many internet platforms that endorsed and committed to adhering to the Principles—including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter—have expanded their content moderation tactics to include interventions implemented by algorithmic tools, such as downranking. More specifically, social media platforms and companies providing core internet infrastructures—including payment processors—have severely restricted free speech on the internet, particularly pertaining to artistic expression. These companies lack the expertise, authority, and resources to make these judgments, and should not be content police. And the resulting inconsistent and arbitrary censorship measures threaten the freedom of countless artists and the internet users who wish to see their work. 

Building on this foundation and seeking remedy the information gap, this workshop session at RightsCon will will bring together artists and curators on the topic of the SCP 2.0 and invite discussions on specific challenges that participants have faced regarding content moderation, with the goal of instigating engagement from these communities on subsequent SCP iterations, and information gathering.

Workshop leaders: Paige Collings (Electronic Frontier Foundation), Emma Shapiro (Artist, and Don’t Delete Art), Elizabeth Larison (National Coalition Against Censorship and Don’t Delete Art), Svetlana Mintcheva (National Coalition Against Censorship and Don’t Delete Art), Yalda Yazdani (composer)