Topic 1: Ethical and practical implications of BCI technology

This topic explores the ethical and practical implications of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology, considering its impact on humans, society, and the economic field of technological development. BCI technology allows direct communication between the brain and external devices, and it has rapidly advanced in recent years. It does this by converting neural activity patterns into real-time commands by implanting devices into humans to capture their brain signals and translating them into instructions used to operate a device or software.

BCI proposes a wide range of health benefits including its ability to support the disabled and enhance the quality of their lives, and could find the root causes of diseases such as Alzheimer's. However, it has introduced many challenges regarding its practical implications that involve privacy, security, and transparency violations. Other risks that may occur to the individual themselves resulting from the implant consist of bleeding, seizures, physical damage to the brain, and severe skin irritation.

Moreover, the politics behind this technology act as a security threat to state governments. Multinational corporations, or domestic companies who've created BCI technologies have increased control and further access to knowledge which increases the risk of hacking and cyber attacks.

Topic 2: The Oversight Board and Media Censorship to Ensure Political Stability

The Oversight Board was created by Meta as an independent body that controls media censorship. This committee was created to help Meta decide what content is considered a hate crime, or threatening to a state's political stability. The board publicly announces all its decisions and legislations to ensure a high degree of transparency between Meta and its users. Individuals can appeal to the board when they disagree with decisions made concerning online freedom of expression such as removing content, shadow banning, or banning accounts. The Oversight Board comprises 40 members representing a diverse range of backgrounds and nationalities. Its primary purpose is to assist Meta in addressing challenging questions related to online freedom, such as what content to remove, what to retain, and the reasons behind these decisions. Facebook and Instagram are required to comply with the decisions of the oversight board. If they do not they could face further legal action against them.

Specifically, the topic deals with political confrontation through online platforms, especially in authoritarian states. In August of 2023, a case was appealed to the Oversight Board regarding 3 videos posted, 2 on Facebook, and 1 on Instagram, by independent Turkish media organizations. These videos consisted of a conversation between the current Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and a former member of the parliament who is a key opposition speaker. The former member shouted, calling him “the servant of the British,” in Turkish during his visit to one of the areas most heavily impacted by the earthquakes. Meta originally removed these posts as a violation of “Hate Crime,” however they have undergone numerous rounds of human review and cross-checking. Thus, for this topic, we aim to explore the role of social media in states that have authoritarian governments and the attempt to limit freedom of speech. What should the role of the oversight board be? Do they have too much power?