Public discussions on digital technology (FR0068)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address? Created in 2011, the remit of the French Digital Council is to examine the relationship between humans and digital technology in all its complexity. Its goal is to put forward ideas and initiatives to stimulate and structure debate. It aims to equip citizens and policymakers, both in France and across Europe, with the information they need to make informed decisions. This means making the results of its work and answers to questions on digital issues available to the wider public. It has become harder for people to ignore the digital transition, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made technology even more a part of our lives. However, discussions on digital technology have intensified in recent years, and there is a risk of the digital divide further isolating society’s most vulnerable members. Only a decade ago, digital technology heralded progress and modernity; now it is more often seen as a means to an end or a source of distrust. To address these issues, we need to have a conversation that involves all members of society, and give them the tools they need to make informed decisions.

What is the commitment? Starting in the autumn of 2021, workshops will be organised by the French Digital Council open to everyone across the country. The goal will be to stimulate discussion and give and share input not only 76 from people with an interest in digital technology but also from those who tend to be left out of the conversation. In each region in mainland France (and in overseas France, project funding and conditions permitting), the Council will hold a series of meetings and debates with local residents and digital ecosystems. Aware of the existing dynamics and the power of local stakeholder networks, the Council will seek to involve and support these stakeholders in reaching out to the wider population as effectively as possible. That way, the Council’s members and the Secretariat General will be able to participate in existing meetings and events. To ensure they reach all kinds of people, particularly those less conversant or engaged with technology, ad hoc events will be organised with local organisations (elected officials, non-profits, mediation organisations, etc.) Potential events include: - Civic debates, open to the general public, where anyone can share their opinion and where the Council’s role will be to listen and record participants’ ideas and recommendations, as opposed to a “top-down” approach of sharing its own views - Discussions with local elected representatives - Meetings with students in schools - Discussions with the digital ecosystem (startups, mediation non-profits, etc.) - Site visits (mediation locations, incubators, local initiatives, etc.) All of these meetings will be summarised in a book and in online publications. The Council will then promote the ideas that emerge from these conversations to as 77 wide an audience as possible, particularly among policymakers.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem? Between the pandemic and the political context of the past two years, the issues dividing France have come to the fore and shown us people’s desire to have their voice heard. It is likely that 2022 will be a pivotal year. These meetings will aim to record the ideas and aspirations of citizens and local stakeholders and to share them across all regions. The objective of this commitment is to make information available to all citizens. For the Council, it is important that these be conversations and not arguments. For a decade now, a variety of digital players have emerged in government and civil society. With this project, the Council wants to use their standing in the regions to help forge ties. Useful partnerships will therefore be central to this project.

Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values? The Council’s preparatory work and the involvement of mediators and elected representatives will help facilitate comprehension and understanding of the issues surrounding the relationship between humans and digital technology. The added value of this project is the circulation of ideas between regions and at national level. The Council will ensure to accurately record the conversations had with people at events and afterwards. The objective is to provide visibility to all contributors. 1. Publishing the key takeaways from the conversations will help inform citizens. 2. The published summary of the conversations will help guide policymakers. 3. It will create opportunities for civic expression (the conversations) and for civil society (meetings with local digital ecosystems, nonprofits, businesses, etc.). 78

Additional information  Budget: o Travel (transportation and accommodation): €12,000 o Creation of content to announce meetings, put together the resulting publication and present conclusions: €35,000 ● Ties to other government programmes: o The work done in the regions by the National Agency for Regional Cohesion (ANCT), particularly putting on the Numérique en commun(s) event every year, as well as the Labo Soc Num programme o Coordination with local stakeholders such as regional/municipal digital councils o Cooperation with national government stakeholders working on similar issues, such as the National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria) ● Ties with other relevant plans (e.g. anticorruption strategy): o Promotion of regional initiatives and stakeholders o Promotion of research

Action Plan Review

Commitment 18. Involve the regions in a national debate on digital technology

● Verifiable: Yes

● Does it have an open government lens? Yes

● Potential for results: Unclear