Session: Digital Panel Discussion: Are We Addicted To The Algorithm?

Bezos, Zuck, Musk and the bloke from Google all sat in the front row of Trump’s inauguration.

As a sector we’re reliant on their platforms and products to drive public engagement with our work.

But let’s be honest, even pre-Trump these platforms were problematic, but as a sector we’ve become dependent on them and don’t seem to have a plan B.

Should we be worried, what actions should we take, how do we square the ethical circle?

In this session we’ll hear from a panel of digital experts with a wide range of views on how we should engage with these platforms.

Panel Chair, Jean O'Brien (Digital Charity Lab), Panelists, Mae Dobbs (Electica), Liz Carolan (ICCL), Clare O'Donoghue Velikić (ODV Digital) and Jonathan Nolan (Concern Worldwide)

Topic Guide

• How is the digital / social space likely to develop / change in the aftermath of the new digital order?
• Should we be there?
• What are our red lines, should we have any?
• What’s an ethical way to use Meta/Twitter etc
• Should charities advertise on platforms with poor records on misinformation, hate speech, or data privacy?
• Is it ethical for charities to use behavioural targeting, income profiling, or lookalike audiences?
• Are there alternative digital strategies beyond paid ads?

Mae Dobbs

Mae leads an international team of campaigners who advise progressive political parties worldwide on how to use technology to win elections. She previously worked on the 2020 Biden Presidential campaign, the 2018 Democratic midterm campaign, and with the Labour Party in 2024 GE. She also worked as a digital communications consultant at Portland Communication and Edelman for 5 years, advising large NGOs like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and WHO on international campaigns to support the SDGs. She got her MSc in Political Economy of Europe from LSE in 2014.