The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) encourages relevant stakeholders to attend a workshop to develop an International Workshop Agreement (IWA 44) on Unique Media Identifier (UMId) for distribution channels and brands.
The German Institute for Standardization (DIN) will host the initial international workshop on February 21, 2024, at DIN; virtual participation is also available (Zoom details are available in the IWA document). Subsequent sessions will be held on July 7 and November 20, 2024.
According to the IWA document, the functioning of our shared information space depends on digital infrastructure and platforms. Protocols and algorithmic-driven recommender systems determine how we see the world online. Accordingly, authoritative and credible information deserves prominence, while harmful or even illegal content must be demoted or deleted.
The IWA aims at enhancing the integrity of content indexation and recommendation by online platforms (e. g. search, streaming, and social media). “This is intended to be achieved by harmonizing and improving the effectiveness of respective signaling along the distribution chain by means of a unique identifier of channels and brands,” states the IWA proposal.
In addition, the deliverables of the IWA will be used by other stakeholders that engage with mass media and content distribution online, such as providers/operators of advertising technology and public sector actors (e.g., regulatory authorities).
Access more information in the invitation to the virtual workshop.
What is an IWA?
An IWA is a type of document that is developed with direct participation of stakeholders outside of the traditional ISO country representation to enable players to negotiate an open workshop environment. After the IWA workshop, text will be edited and published. A proposal to hold an ISO workshop for the purpose of developing one or more IWA on a particular subject may come from any source, including ISO member bodies, liaison organizations, corporate bodies, etc.