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UN Chief on Digital Platforms policy brief - Press Conference (12 June 2023)

The UN chief called for a new era of social media integrity to stem misinformation. Countries must address the “grave global harm” caused by the proliferation of hate and lies online, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said today (12 Jun), launching a key report designed to shore up information integrity on digital platforms. The policy brief argues that they should be integral players in upholding the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of information shared by users. Digital platforms – which include social media channels, search engines, and messaging apps – are connecting billions of people across the planet, with some three billion users of Facebook alone. They have brought many benefits, from supporting communities in times of crisis and struggle to help to mobilize global movements for racial justice and gender equality. The UN also uses them to engage people worldwide in pursuit of peace, dignity, and human rights on a healthy planet. Yet these digital platforms are being misused to subvert science and spread disinformation and hate, fueling conflict, threatening democracy and human rights, and undermining public health and climate action. “Digital platforms are being misused to subvert science and spread disinformation and hate to billions of people. Some of our own UN peacekeeping missions and humanitarian aid operations have been targeted, making their work even more dangerous. This clear and present global threat demands clear and coordinated global action,” the UN chief said. Given the threat, the Secretary-General has called for coordinated international action to make the digital space safer and more inclusive while protecting human rights. Constructive responses have largely been lacking. Some tech companies have done far too little to prevent their platforms from contributing to the spread of violence and hatred, while Governments have sometimes resorted to drastic measures – including internet shutdowns and bans – that lack any legal basis and infringe on human rights. The report puts forward the framework for global action through a Code of Conduct for information integrity on digital platforms that outlines potential guardrails while safeguarding the rights to freedom of expression and information. It will build on principles that include respect for human rights, support for independent media, increased transparency, user empowerment, and strengthened research and data access. Guterres said, “Our policy brief on information integrity on digital platforms puts forward a framework for a concerted international response. Its proposals are aimed at creating guardrails to help governments come together around guidelines that promote facts while exposing conspiracies and lies, and safeguarding freedom of expression and information; And to help tech companies navigate difficult ethical and legal issues and build business models based on a healthy information ecosystem.” The Secretary-General also provided recommendations that could inform the Code of Conduct. They include a call for Governments, tech companies, and other stakeholders to refrain from using, supporting, or amplifying disinformation and hate speech for any purpose. Governments should also guarantee a free, viable, independent, and plural media landscape with strong protections for journalists. Meanwhile, digital platforms should ensure safety and privacy by design in all products and consistent application of policies and resources across countries and languages. Advertisers and digital platforms should ensure that ads are not placed next to online mis- or disinformation or hate speech and that ads containing disinformation are not promoted. Alarm over the potential threat posed by the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) must not obscure the damage already being done by digital technologies that enable the spread of online hate speech and mis- and disinformation, he said. At the same time, all stakeholders should take urgent and immediate measures to ensure that all AI applications are safe, secure, responsible, and ethical and comply with human rights obligations, he added. Guterres stressed, “We need to do anything possible to make sure that the future evolution of AI doesn’t go into the logic that completely abolishes human agency and creates a monster that nobody will be able to control.” He also said, “We are dealing with a business that generates massive profits. And we are dealing also, in some situations, with governments that do not entirely respect human rights. So, this is a constant battle, and in this constant battle, we have to mobilize all those that are committed to information integrity in digital platforms.” Answering a reporter’s question, the UN Secretary-General said supporting and protecting journalists is essential.