The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) is delighted to join the Design 4 Democracy (D4D) Coalition to contribute to a community providing resources at the intersection of technology and democracy.
D4D is a global network of organizations committed to ensuring that democracy and human rights are core principles of technology. D4D Core Partners include the International Republican Institute, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.
“The Design 4 Democracy (D4D) Coalition connects global grassroots civil society organizations and technology companies to tackle some of the most pressing democratic issues. D4D does this through serving as a tech request and content escalation channel for members, while also connecting tech companies with members who can provide on the ground contextual knowledge from around the world,” said Kristi Arbogast, Design 4 Democracy Coalition Community Manager with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. “In an effort to expand the Coalition’s membership to cover all facets of the democracy and technology space, we are pleased to bring on board the Global Cyber Alliance and their expert knowledge on cyber security.”
Acknowledging the various ways and means that technology can threaten democracy—from fraudulent political ads, to disinformation, to biased artificial intelligence—D4D encourages greater awareness, knowledge sharing, and action through tools, training, and dialogue. GCA will provide tools and resources from the Craig Newmark Trustworthy Internet and Democracy Program, including the GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit for Elections and the GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit for Journalists, to advance secure elections, free press, democracy, and make participation safer for everyone.
“D4D is a forum for those working to support the ethical use of technology in the service of democracy to learn from one another. There is so much work to be done in this space that sharing tools and approaches and avoiding duplication of effort is critical to making progress towards the goals we care about as a coalition,” said Lisa Reppell, Global Social Media and Disinformation Specialist with the Center for Applied Research and Learning at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. “The inclusion of GCA and the ability to share the many resources they bring among D4D partners is an excellent step toward furthering these goals.”