Online to Offline Harm: Social Media and Conflict

BSR, in partnership with Mercy Corps, is hosting a conversation for representatives of our member companies and select civil society organizations, where we will explore the ways in which social media can contribute to offline harm and how diverse actors can collectively prevent and respond to these harms.

Social media harms—dangerous speech, electoral manipulation, coordinated disinformation campaigns, and online radicalization—have significant potential to destabilize already fragile environments around the world. Getting out ahead of this emerging trend to prevent these harms is increasingly central to reducing global violence and preventing adverse human rights impacts. This session will explore both the key threats that social media poses to peace and stability, including a presentation of Mercy Corps’ new report on the weaponization of social media, and foster discussion about how diverse stakeholders can collaborate to tackle this problem in a forward-looking, strategic way.