Nym was at WebSummit in Rio this week, one of the world’s largest technology conferences.
Nym was at WebSummit in Rio this week, one of the world’s largest technology conferences. The team joined other innovators, thought leaders and entrepreneurs from across the world with the aim to ensure privacy remains at the centre of internet industry debates, and to support the rapidly growing Latin American Nym community!
Nym joined forces with Signal to ensure privacy was the headline of WebSummit with centre stage appearances by Chelsea Manning and shortly after by the President of Signal messaging app, Meredith Whittacker. The two voices ensured that the AI hype was grounded in the realities of data markets and centralised power, emphasising the need for privacy technologies to ensure our future freedoms!
Key highlights from this week
- Nym Security Chelsea Manning opened the centre stage in a fireside chat with Forbes crypto reporter Leo Swartz and featured as the main conference highlight of the day.
- The Nym Masterclass on Privacy in the Age of AI had a guest appearance by President of Signal foundation, Meredith Whittaker, and was packed way over capacity.
- The Nym partnership with Swissnex was strengthened boost growth in Latin America, hosting presentations by Nym COO Alexis Roussel, CSO Jaya Klara Brekke and Head of Growth Daniel Vazquez.
- Nym team met with the Rio Secretary for Science and Innovation to propose a Rio privacy crypto-carnival (and she liked it! So stay tuned for a party invitation…)
- The Nym community of Rio linked up with the z-cash community to boost privacy interest and ecosystem growth in the region.
Brazil takes on the tech industry
Just before WebSummit opened, Brazil shut down Telegram for a few days. The Brazilian Congress is going through an intense debate about a new online bill to push for stronger content moderation by technology platforms, after far right groups attacked government buildings and schools earlier in the year.
Privacy is the solution, not the problem
The new bill and how to address manipulation, radicalisation and violence, without resorting to censorship was a major topic of discussion at the Summit. But there is an approach to these problems that so far has been overlooked: strong privacy protections. Securing strong privacy of communications would protect people from being profiled and targeted with radicalising content streams and misinformation!
Nym discussed the problem of disinformation with the Secretary of Science and Innovation of Rio de Janeiro, Tatiana Roque, who is also an expert on the topic. In her view, trusted social relationships provide the societal immune system to solve misinformation and disinformation. And she agreed that enabling people to securely communicate with one another without spying and interference is the foundation for building trust in society.
Fireside Chat with Chelsea Manning, Nym and Leo Swartz, Fortune
Tuesday 2nd of May, 10.30 am centre stage — watch here
How could strong data privacy lead to better AI? Could encryption democratise governance and access to AI? How can cryptography counter deep-fakes and contribute to a better and more secure online experience? Chelsea Manning spoke on MainStage with journalist Leo Schwartz, reporter at Fortune covering the global impact of crypto, regulation, cyber crime, and all things blockchain.
Nym Masterclass: Privacy in the age of AI
Tuesday 2nd of May, 1pm Main Conference, Masterclass 3
Unfortunately WebSummit does not record masterclasses, but a longer summary is coming!
Chelsea Manning, Jaya Klara Brekke, Meredith Whittaker, Alexis Roussel and Vincent Neumann at the Nym Masterclass on Privacy in the age of AI — WebSummit Rio 2023
A major highlight of the whole summit was the Nym masterclass on Privacy and AI. The Nym team Jaya Klara Brekke, Alexis Roussel and Chelsea Manning, was joined by President of Signal Foundation, Meredith Whittaker and Vincent Neumann, Program Manager, Innovation & Startups Swissnex (in order of appearance). We had a queue down two floors and the room filled up over capacity!
AI has been built after over a decade of mass surveillance. In the words of Meredith: it is a “surveillance derivative”. The recent boom is the result of large technology platforms holding near monopoly access to people’s content and behavioural data. But privacy preserving technologies are going through their own revolution. End-to-end encryption is becoming standard and we now have functioning mixnets and advanced cryptographic techniques including homomorphic encryption.
The key question is whether these technologies can ensure that people and society can have a say over the future development and uses of AI. Privacy preserving technologies afterall place the power to decide over data (when it is created and who can use it) back into the hands of people.
Jaya introduced the session, providing the current context of AI hype, privacy tech and the risks of “privacy washing” that will likely come this next year.
Alexis gave an overview of the Nym mixnet, and how metadata can be protected to secure against AI-powered surveillance.
Chelsea emphasised that regulation is not going to be enough, what is needed is a technological intervention to block data markets and shift the direction of AI development.
Meredith gave the historical overview of how data-markets and centralised big tech power emerged to monopolise the control over AI, reproducing racist categorisations in society. Important research and publications that were mentioned included the AI Now report by Amba Kak and Dr Sarah Myers West, work by Abeba Birhane and work by Prof Louise Amoore.
Vincent Neuman of Swissnex rounded off the masterclass highlighting the importance of Latin America as a counterpoint to the surveillance-driven technology industries of the US and China, describing the work and programs of Swissnex in supporting start ups in the region.
Press conference with Alexis Roussel and Chelsea Manning
The Nym WebSummit press conference on building privacy by design — watch here.
Chelsea Manning (Nym) and Alexis Roussel (Nym) press conference — WebSummit Rio 2023The Nym team on the ground in Rio
Nym Latin America
- Daniel Vazquez (Head of growth in Latin America)
- Joao Phelip (Nym community manager, Portuguese)
- With expert assistance on the booth from Paula and Bruno!
Nym Europe and US
- Alexis Roussel (COO)
- Jaya Klara Brekke (CSO)
- Chelsea Manning, Nym security consultant
Thank you Rio de Janeiro!
Nym team and partners from Instituto Educar+ at the Nym booth — WebSummit Rio 2023
Nym and z-cash community — because privacy love company!
Nym and z-cash communities at WebSummit Rio
Join Nym community