Guidelines for the regulation of digital platforms have been discussed at the UNESCO level.
To curb the spread of disinformation and hate speech online, UNESCO today unveiled an action plan that was developed after extensive consultations around the world, and the results of a global poll underscore the urgency of taking action.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay noted on the same day that digital technology has contributed to the tremendous progress made in freedom of expression. But social media also accelerates and amplifies the spread of disinformation and hate speech, posing significant risks to social life, peace and stability. "To guarantee access to information, we must immediately bring these platforms under regulation while protecting freedom of expression and human rights," she stressed.
Broad consultation and participation
According to UNESCO, the consultation on the action plan received unprecedented participation, with more than 10,000 comments from 134 countries collected over the past 18 months.
In more than 40 pages, the action plan details the principles to be followed by all stakeholders, including governments, regulators, civil society and the platform itself, as well as specific measures to be implemented by their respective stakeholders.
Representatives of independent regulators have welcomed UNESCO's initiatives, and some have indicated that they are ready to implement these measures, particularly in Africa and Latin America. To this end, UNESCO will host the first Global Regulators' Meeting in mid-2024.
UNESCO will also support Member States in incorporating the Plan of Action into their national laws and regulations, and is mobilizing earmarked funds. The European Commission has pledged 1 million euros.
Seven basic principles
In the Plan of Action, UNESCO proposes seven principles that must be adhered to, and all measures should be centred on this. These principles include:
- The impact on human rights serves as a guide for decision-making by all stakeholders at every stage.
- Establish independent public regulators around the world, clarify their responsibilities and provide adequate resources for their mission.
- These independent regulators form a working network of close cooperation to prevent digital companies from taking advantage of national regulatory differences.
- Content moderation should be effective and feasible on a broad scale, covering all regions and all languages.
- Platform algorithms should be accountable and transparent, often at the expense of reliable information to increase user engagement.
- The platform takes more steps to educate and train users to think critically.
- Regulators and platforms are taking stronger steps during sensitive times, especially during elections and crises.
Freedom of expression and human rights are always upheld
Azoulay also reminded that all of this work should be guided by a core requirement that freedom of expression and all other human rights must be upheld at all times. "Restricting or restricting speech is a terrible solution, and independent, high-quality and free media and information tools are the best long-term response to disinformation," she said. ”
To this end, UNESCO has specifically proposed that each platform should have a well-staffed and qualified operational team capable of working in all major languages of the platform to provide reliable and effective monitoring of content published online. Platforms must ensure that the moderation process is transparent, including automated moderation through algorithms. In addition, it is necessary to provide services to users in all major languages of the countries in which they operate and to report user complaints.
Ensuring election integrity
The action plan also specifically addresses the measures necessary to ensure electoral integrity, including election risk assessments, clear content marking, and greater transparency of political advertising and its goals. At the same time, measures to be taken in emergencies such as armed conflicts and disasters are also included in the action plan.
In addition, the plan addresses the cultural sector, highlighting the risks faced by artists and the need to guarantee online access to "diverse cultural content" as a fundamental human right. These are informed by the declaration unanimously adopted by UNESCO Member States at the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development in September 2022.
The poll results highlight the need for regulation
The results of a poll by Justify Putsos, which collected 8,000 responses for UNESCO in the 16 countries where general elections will be held in 2024, were released at the same time as the action plan. According to the survey, 85% of respondents are concerned about the impact of online disinformation, and social media has become the main source of information for the vast majority of the public.
The survey results also noted that 87% of respondents believe that this disinformation has already had a significant impact on the political life of their country and are concerned about interference with the results of next year's elections. As a result, 88% of respondents want governments and regulators to address this issue by regulating social media as soon as possible.
