Project leadership

Ahmed X. Medien led, edited and directed the report as the project lead and director and National Strategic Partner of Missions Publiques.

Funding & contributors

The “Citizens Dialogue On The Future of Internet, Data Ownership and Artificial Intelligence”  was a national dialogue initiative led by me and funded by the German Federal Agency of Development (GiZ) in 2020 with a contribution from the French public-interest organization, Missions Publiques.

Sana Ouechatati authored, compiled several portions of this report and provided additional context research.

Nadia Soussi and Aya Chebbi directed and coordinated the project on the ground including outreach activities, communication and overall execution of the project.

About the report:

The We The Internet (Tunisia) project was launched in 2020 and ended in mid-2021 with the release of the report during a webinar. This national citizen initiative aimed to advance an understanding (and the understanding) of internet governance and artificial intelligence through direct citizen participation and deliberation in real time. It was part of civic network of organizations and grassroots movements organizing similar citizen debates/assemblies on the future of internet governance and participation in 78 countries.

The project conducted thematic surveys with a representative sample of 600 Tunisians to understand their digital usage and awareness of technological challenges. The findings reveal that Tunisians have substantial digital usage, with 80% of respondents connecting daily to their preferred platforms, primarily for information. Furthermore, 80% used the internet for work or studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the subject of Internet governance, the study also indicated a preference for Internet governance to be handled by civil society (62%) or the private sector (58%), rather than the government.

The report concludes that while digital usage is high in Tunisia, there is a need to increase awareness about technological challenges such as cybercrime, data privacy, and advancements in artificial intelligence that may pose a risk to the privacy of internet users and the integrity of information they consume and share online. This awareness will help to inform future initiatives and policies for Internet governance in the country and the region as well as other subjects such as climate policy, more democratic and equitable economic participation, political freedoms, conflict mediation and peacebuilding.

Report: https://bit.ly/3mJLu3K