Reflecting on my journey in Internet Governance, I can trace its beginnings to my first participation in Asia Pacific Youth Internet Governance Forum (yIGF) in 2022. Many people often ask me why, as a medical student, I chose to venture into the world of Internet Governance. My usual answer is simple: because it’s fun, engaging, and it feels fulfilling to take on an active role as a youth advocate. Beyond that, it has allowed me to connect with youths and experts from across the Asia-Pacific region and provided me opportunities to travel and experience different cultures—much like my experience this August 2024.
This year marked a significant milestone in my Internet Governance journey as I participated onsite in yIGF for the first time, having attended the previous two yIGF remotely. Being physically present this year brought a completely new dimension to my involvement. What made this experience even more special was my involvement in not just one, but three events: Digital Rights in Asia-Pacific 2024 (DRAPAC 2024), yIGF 2024, and Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum 2024 (APrIGF 2024). Additionally, I took on a significantly larger role as a co-chair. This was a leap from being a participant and an organizing committee member to managing a major aspect of the event in Taiwan. Throughout the week, I learned a lot from my responsibilities as a co-chair and the various sessions I attended.
Fostering Unity Through Asia-Pacific Youth Advocacy
At DRAPAC 2024, my fellow teammates from NetMission.Asia, Luke Teoh, Ankita Rathi and Sameer Gahlot, and I facilitated a workshop on Asia-Pacific Youth Advocacy and Collective Action where we engaged in discussions with fellow youth participants about the pressing issues in technology governance and how our voices can be mobilized to safeguard human rights in the digital rights space. I was assigned to work with participants from Southeast Asia. It was great to learn that, despite our different nationalities, we face similar challenges across the Asia-Pacific region. This common ground fostered a sense of unity as we discussed our hopes for the next five to ten years. It became clear that, as a region, we are collectively striving for stronger digital governance and more inclusive policies to address these shared issues.
Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Resilience
In addition to facilitating the workshop, I also attended a session, “Leveraging Geospatial Artificial Intelligence for Climate Action in Asia: An Indigenous Perspective.” Living in Southeast Asia, a region highly vulnerable due to its location in both the Ring of Fire and the typhoon belt, we frequently face the disproportionate impacts of climate change. Countries like Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and even neighboring Taiwan have recently experienced flooding. Having personally experienced the effects of these disasters—such as temporary school closures, blackouts, and flooding—it is crucial to integrate Indigenous knowledge with AI and geospatial data to tackle these challenges and adopt a multisectoral approach.
What intrigued me most about this session was the idea of intersecting indigenous knowledge with AI. We often overlook the vast potential of Indigenous wisdom—not only in addressing climate change but also in preserving traditional knowledge, such as the use of local medicinal herbs and the protection of Indigenous rights. Remote-sensing data utilized in AI systems often fail to account for the social dimensions that are deeply rooted in local context and Indigenous perspectives. Hence, there is a need for an interdisciplinary collaboration and participatory process to address the multiple, interlinked crises we are facing.
Truth in the Age of Information Overload
During yIGF 2022, I facilitated the session “Securing Truth in the Age of Information Overload.” This year’s theme for Meetup with Industry Experts resonated deeply with me, as the topic is related to a case I explored when I was a participant in NetMission Academy. The growing prevalence of misinformation and disinformation across the Asia-Pacific region is particularly concerning in today’s digital age, where information spreads rapidly and is often unchecked. Addressing this challenge has become increasingly critical to building a well-informed and resilient society. Despite being digitally literate, I sometimes find myself falling prey to fake news. The disruption caused by misinformation and disinformation complicates our information ecosystem, especially since many of us rely on the Internet to get our daily news. For many voters, social media has overtaken more traditional sources like television, newspapers, and radio, driven by the desire for quick updates. However, this demand for speed often comes at the expense of accuracy.
As a co-chair, I found it rewarding to see how engaged the participants were during the breakout session. Their active involvement demonstrated that youth can indeed play a role in addressing the issues they face in their respective countries, particularly in securing the truth in the age of information overload. Through their discussions, they crafted the Youth Policy Statement, which serves as a document that showcases the collective voice of the youth while addressing the needs, challenges, and opportunities facing young people in the Asia-Pacific region.
Internet Governance in Modern Healthcare
In APrIGF 2024, I particularly appreciated that they included a session titled, “Health Data Governance Through AI in the Booming Age: A Journey in Taiwan,” which focuses on medical ethics and health data privacy, a topic closely in line with my studies. It highlighted ongoing concerns about privacy issues surrounding health data and its potential for secondary use. Listening to the case study on health insurance in Taiwan reminded me of similar challenges we face in the Philippines.
In the healthcare sector—whether as physicians, nurses, or administrators—we regularly handle a significant amount of confidential information from patients and their families, making data privacy a crucial concern. Health data needs additional specialized protections through law and ethical data practices to ensure patient confidentiality. While research and data are essential in public health to monitor trends, prioritize diseases to treat, and enhance treatment effectiveness, we must ensure that patient privacy is safeguarded at every step of the process. The temptation to use health data for purposes beyond its original intent is ever-present, making it crucial to have strong safeguards in place.
As part of this initiative, education plays a key role alongside policy developments. Educational institutions must ensure that students in health-related fields—medicine, nursing, and healthcare administration—are well-informed in bioethics and proper data management. However, this knowledge often remains confined to medical institutions, highlighting a need to expand awareness beyond these fields. By doing so, we can better prepare future healthcare professionals and administrators to handle sensitive information responsibly, while also maintaining the trust and privacy of the patients they serve.
Conclusion
Moving forward toward my future plans in Internet Governance, it is encouraging to know that despite my non-technical background, I have been given the opportunity as part of the yIGF community to actively participate and contribute to the youth voice in Internet Governance. My first experience attending yIGF onsite reinforced the importance of Internet governance. It underscored that our conversations on pressing issues in this digital age continue even after our engagement in Taipei, Taiwan. The dialogue needs to continue as we have a shared responsibility to foster ongoing discussions and advocate for policies that reflect the diverse voices of the Asia-Pacific region.
By Nattaya Jaratruangsaeng