Condemning governments on human rights grounds while running event filled with companies that enable serious abuses smacks of hypocrisy
The same relentless Paddy Cosgrave drive that could re-envision how a big tech event might be run also relished engaging in public disputes. Photograph: Antonio Cotrim/EPAHe’s always been an energetic creative dynamo with a contrarian bent.
And yet, hypocrisies and contradictions abound. Cosgrave regularly airs his opinions, and his views are often controversial. Sometimes his words have caused offence, even fury – he’s tailor-made for the brash, pugnacious social media age. Irish Twitter/X has regular “oh no, what has Paddy said now?” discussion threads. Sometimes, the more outrageous posts vanish.
Take Google and Meta, big Web Summit sponsors that backed out of this year’s event over Cosgrave’s comments. Both have been the subject of a wide range of criticism and complaint by human, civil and digital rights activists. Google has compliantly censored search results and removed pro-democracy voting apps in oppressive countries.
Nor has Qatar’s woeful reputation on human rights deterred Web Summit from holding a Qatari version of the event this February, confirmed by Cosgrave after his resignation. Even though the country figures on the watch lists of several global human rights organisations, it apparently passes muster with Cosgrave and the Web Summit organisers.
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