Debating Matters

DM Transatlantic: Tech companies should act to stop online misinformation

Published: December 2024

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

On 24 August 2024, Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of instant messaging and platform service, Telegram, was arrested at Le Bouge Airport on the outskirts of Paris, France. The charges were seemingly related to a lack of moderation on his platform and accusations that Telegram is complicit in cases linked to drug trafficking, support for terrorism and cyberstalking [Ref: Le Monde]. Durov was subsequently charged with 12 crimes in connection with Telegram’s failure to remove certain content at the request of the authorities.

Durov’s arrest is a world first, signifying a growing concern among western governments about the spread of online misinformation and a move towards regarding social media platforms as publishers of user-generated content, thereby holding their owners responsible for that content. The only comparable case to the Durov arrest was in 2016 when a Brazilian judged ordered the arrest of a senior Facebook executive who was briefly jailed for refusing to hand over private WhatsApp messages to assist in a drug-trafficking case [Ref: Guardian]. However, he was quickly released, and many commentators branded the decision ‘hurried’, ‘unlawful’ and ‘extreme’ [Ref: Spiked].

The Durov incident is the latest in a long line of concerns over ‘misinformation’, ‘disinformation’, ‘hate speech’ and ‘fake news’ online. This concern has prompted a series of laws, from the EU’s Digital Services Act [Ref: European Commission] to the UK’s Online Safety Act [Ref: Gov.UK], as well as a range of investigations, task forces, court rulings, social media bans and legislation around the world – all deemed to be tackling online misinformation [Ref: Poynter].

Transatlantic DM: We should accept the risk inherent in contact sports

Published: October 2024

Please note, this is a Transatlantic Topic Guide, and the term ‘football’ generally refers to what is known in the US as ‘soccer’ and ‘American football’ is used when referring to what North Americans call ‘football’ (sometimes, internationally, known as ‘gridiron football’). When debating, students should use whichever term they prefer. This Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

In April 2023, former Wales and British & Lions rugby wing, Dafydd James, revealed he had been diagnosed with onset dementia at the age of 47, with the possibility he also has a degenerative brain disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can only be discovered posthumously [Ref: The Times]. The former rugby player is the latest high-profile sports star to join the growing class-action lawsuit against rugby’s governing bodies, World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). He joins some 200 professional and amateur sportsmen and sportswomen who are suing the professional bodies for failing to take protective action against the risks caused by concussion [Ref: BBC Sport].

This was the first legal move of its kind in world rugby, with some comparing it to the class action against the NFL in the US, which began in 2011. The NFL Concussion case now has over 20,000 retired players accusing the league of not warning about, and hiding, brain injuries associated with the sport [Ref: NFL Concussion Settlement]. Moreover, in 2024, the Washington Post revealed that many more cases have been hidden from sight, arguing, ‘the settlement routinely fails to deliver money and medical care to former players suffering from dementia and CTE… saving the NFL hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more’ [Ref: The Washington Post / Forbes].

DM Transatlantic: Smartphones should be banned in the classroom

Published: September 2024

Debating Matters Transatlantic is a partnership project between Bill of Rights Institute, Ideas Matter and Incubate Debate.

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

According to recent studies, the majority of young people in both the UK and US own a smartphone. Research by the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom found that smartphone ownership among 12- to 15-year-olds is above 95 per cent, with nearly a quarter of three- and four-year-olds owning a device. The research also showed that half of children aged three to 12 use at least one social-media app, despite the minimum age requirement being 13 (Ref: Guardian). In the US, a 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 95 per cent of American teens have access to a cellphone with 58 per cent of them reporting using TikTok daily (Ref: Pew Research Center).

Smartphone use has been linked to a wide range of poor educational and mental-health problems, particularly in relation to social-media use (Ref: TES). The use of smartphones by under-16s has, therefore, become the subject of widespread debate in both countries. From failing eyesight, insomnia and poor concentration to self-harm, anorexia, anxiety and addiction, social media is held to be responsible for an array of problems relating to mental health and wellbeing in children. This has led many to call for an outright ban, or for usage to be at least severely restricted, for those under 16, particularly in school (Ref: Spectator).

DM Transatlantic: Monuments to controversial historical figures should remain

Published: September 2024

Debating Matters Transatlantic is a partnership project between Bill of Rights Institute, Ideas Matter and Incubate Debate.

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

In June 2020, in a response to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, people in Bristol, UK, vandalised and then toppled a statue of Edward Colston [Ref: BBC]. In the United States, heated debates also occurred over the existence of monuments to controversial figures. For example, in Richmond, Virginia, the city removed three statues of Confederate leaders on ‘Monument Avenue’ in 2020, with the state removing the last one in 2021. Many other cities in the southern US also removed statues of Confederate figures.

In the UK, the toppling of the Colston statue prompted the Mayor of London to set up the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm [Ref: Wikipedia] with the aim of ensuring London’s monuments, plaques and street names reflect the diversity of the city today [ref: London.gov.uk]. Reviews of statues are being planned in other UK cities, too, including Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle [Ref: Sky News]. Edinburgh City Council has convened a review group to look at public monuments, street names and building names that have links to slavery and colonialism [Ref: Edinburgh Evening News].

DM Transatlantic: Populism is a threat to democracy

Published: September 2024

Debating Matters Transatlantic is a partnership project between Bill of Rights Institute, Ideas Matter and Incubate Debate.

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

Populism is the political buzzword of the day – with commentators, political theorists and politicians all debating its meaning and the merits of its apparent rise in recent years. Examples of populism abound: from Brexit and Trump, which dominated discussion in 2016, to more recent examples such as the 2023 election of Javier Milei in Argentina [Ref: Populism Studies], the Europe-wide farmers’ protests [Ref: Financial Times], the rise of the Reform Party in the UK [Ref: The Week] or, most strikingly, the overwhelming rejection by referendum in Ireland of a proposed constitutional change [Ref: Guardian]. Whilst many discuss populism as a right-wing phenomenon, it has a long history on the left as well, with recent examples of Syriza in Greece [Ref: New Statesman] and Podemos in Spain [Ref: BBC News].

But particular alarm is caused today by its right-wing variety. Some insist it is dangerous for democracy and liberal values, going so far as to suggest that it has echoes of the emergence of fascism in the 1930s and 1940s [Ref: Guardian]. Such fears seemed to be confirmed when news broke in Germany of an alleged meeting between members of a leading far-right populist party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), and neo-Nazi groups. This led to widespread public protests and even calls to ban the AfD [Ref: Guardian]. The call to ban a political party, supported by a large number of Germans, gets to the heart of the debate about populism: is populism a reflection of widespread anger and disillusionment with the mainstream, or is it a dangerous force which justifies suspending the democratic process in order to contain it?

DM Transatlantic: Cancel culture is a threat to freedom of speech

published: September 2024

Debating Matters Transatlantic is a partnership project between Bill of Rights Institute, Ideas Matter and Incubate Debate.

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

Cancel culture is one of the buzzwords of the social-media age. It describes the view that there is a new assault on freedom of expression and belief, beyond traditional free-speech controversies like ‘de-platforming’. Cancel culture is a form of boycott where a person who has shared a controversial opinion, expressed an ‘inappropriate’ viewpoint or whose actions are perceived as offensive is called out and then ‘cancelled’ for their errant behaviour.

It seems there is an example of a celebrity getting ‘canceled’ or claiming to have been canceled every week. Author JK Rowling, rapper Kanye West, television host Ellen DeGeneres, comedian Dave Chappelle and actor Mel Gibson are just a few who have been fired and lost endorsements or work for expressing their views. But it’s not just limited to the world of celebrity. Harper’s Magazine published a joint letter from a diverse range of 153 prominent writers, including Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood, concerned more generally that ‘the free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted’ [Ref: Harper’s Magazine].

But plenty of commentators think this is no threat to freedom of expression, arguing call-outs are the natural consequence of voicing prejudiced and bigoted opinions, and those who complain that they are held accountable are the ones really trying to crack down on freedom of speech [Ref: Varsity]. So, does this new culture stifle debate and jeopardise free speech, or is it merely what fair and open debate looks like in the social-media age?

DM Transatlantic: Humanity should fear advances in artificial intelligence

published: September 2024

Debating Matters Transatlantic is a partnership project between Bill of Rights Institute, Ideas Matter and Incubate Debate.

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, the increasing ability of machines to replicate or even supersede human abilities in complex tasks has been impressive. Already, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been used to allow machines to beat the best players in the world at both chess [Ref: Time] and the Chinese board game Go [Ref: Guardian]. IBM’s Watson has beaten the best human players on the long-running US quiz show, Jeopardy! [Ref: TechRepublic]. AI has long been built into consumer goods such as Google search, Alexa and Siri, and is being rolled out in the UK National Health Service [Ref: Gov.uk]. Things really took off in September 2022, however, with the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Its ability to produce convincingly human-sounding text in response to prompts written in everyday language was a sensation, reaching one million users within five days [Ref: Exploding Topics]. Since then, AI applications have hit the mainstream, available and easy-to-use for anyone with an internet connection; alongside text-generation products like ChatGPT, AI-powered tools for generating images, audio, video, code and more have proliferated.

But the implications for society are only just becoming apparent. In January 2024, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) claimed that nearly 40 per cent of jobs worldwide will be affected by AI. She warned that it will likely worsen global inequality, but could also enhance some humans’ performance and create new jobs [Ref: CNBC]. Jobs lost could range from call-centre staff being replaced by chatbots to highly-educated law and finance professionals; these industries are now projected to be among the most affected by AI [Ref: Guardian]. Facial-recognition systems, combined with ubiquitous CCTV, could erode our privacy. AI-powered autonomous weapons, or bioweapons developed using AI technology, could herald new and deadlier forms of warfare.

Smartphones should be banned in the classroom

2024

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

According to some studies, 98 per cent of the UK population now own a smartphone (Ref: Uswitch). Recent research by the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom, further found that smartphone ownership among 12- to 15-year-olds is above 95 per cent , with nearly a quarter of three- and four-year-olds owning a device. In addition, their research also showed that half of children aged three to 12 use at least one social-media app, despite the minimum age requirement being 13 (Ref: Guardian).

Smartphone use has been linked to a wide range of poor educational and mental-health problems, particularly in relation to social-media use (Ref: TES). The use of smartphones by under-16s has, therefore, become the subject of widespread debate – both in Parliament and within society more broadly. From failing eyesight, insomnia and poor concentration to self-harm, anorexia, anxiety and addiction, social media is held to be responsible for an array of problems relating to mental health and wellbeing in children. This has led many to call for an outright ban, or for usage to be at least severely restricted, for those under 16, particularly in school (Ref: Spectator).

Germany should pay reparations for its colonial past

updated 2024

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

Following wartime reparations, most notably to Holocaust survivors, attention now has turned towards reparations in relation to Germany’s colonial past. In particular, there has been a long-standing discussion surrounding reparations over the genocide against the Herero and Nama people of Namibia [Ref: BBC]. In June 2021, the German and Namibian governments published a Joint Declaration to come to terms with the genocide in Namibia. Instead of reparation payments, the government promised development aid amounting to €1.1 billion, to be paid in the course of the next 30 years. [Ref: Guardian]

However, there has been criticism from some commentators who say the agreement does not include representatives of the Herero and Nama tribes [Ref: Guardian], with others arguing the Namibia agreement should mark a beginning, and not an end to negotiations [Ref: DW]. Furthermore, in 2022, the Namibian vice president demanded the renegotiation of the 2021 treaty, saying the old one was insufficient [Ref: Deutschlandfunk Kultur].

Tourism benefits the world

updated 2024

Please note, this Topic Guide should be the starting point of your research. You are encouraged to conduct your own independent research to supplement your argument.

INTRODUCTION

On 25 April 2024, the city of Venice implemented an entry fee scheme for day-trip tourists [ref: Independent]. According to city officials, the scheme is aiming to ‘safeguard the city from “overtourism”’. Other European cities, including Prague, Barcelona, Athens and Seville, are considering similar schemes [ref: Guardian]. The Scottish government is considering allowing cities like Edinburgh to levy an accommodation surcharge to fund events like the loss-making but hugely popular Hogmanay celebrations [Ref: Guardian]. Although the Venice initiative is a pilot scheme, which will be reviewed after a year, the authorities want to assess whether there is a deterrent effect on tourism.

Tourism has traditionally been seen as a way of showing appreciation for different places, peoples and cultures, and many cities around the world have a thriving tourist industry that benefits inhabitants. However, mounting fears about the impact of mass tourism have led many to question whether tourists are actually ruining the places they love. A debate about the effects of tourism on tourist destinations has been going on for some time [Ref: Telegraph], leading to the rise of related ideas like eco-tourism [Ref: International Ecotourism Society] or sustainable tourism [Ref: Wikipedia].