Social Sciences and Hertford College are delighted to invite you to a fascinating talk about information, security and democracy.

Information is the world’s foremost currency. It shapes ideologies and the choice of governments that we vote to elect. It is at the core of Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) on freedom of speech, which includes the “freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.” But what if the information imparted is purposely wrong? What if it threatens the very democracy at the heart of the ECHR?

Misinformation has proven to be a versatile tool for social and political coercion and disruption. It has been used by foreign governments to manipulate elections and by national groups to stir up divisions in already polarised contexts. Democracies rely on an independent and informed electorate for their liberty. How do we protect that independence without turning to censorship? How do we ensure that information is not supplanted by alternative facts or fake news?

Rising to this emerging threat, the University of Oxford Social Sciences Division and Hertford College are hosting a discussion on the issue in partnership with the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the world’s oldest independent think tank on international defence and security. Chaired by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Louise Richardson, the event will feature the Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, Professor Ngaire Woods, Director of the Oxford Internet Institute Professor Philip Howard, the Principal of Hertford College, Will Hutton and a member of the Royal United Services Institute.

The schedule for the evening is as follows:

17:00-17:30 - Tea and coffee

17:30- 19:00 - Lecture

Registration is available to Hertford College alumni only. If you are a member of Social Sciences Division and another college, please contact your department.

Due to the limited number of tickets, alumni will be unable to bring a guest to the talk. If you miss out on tickets, there will be a waiting list in case of cancellations.

Information, Security and Democracy: In conversation