The UN launched on Monday the Global Principles for Information Integrity, aiming at tackling the misinformation, disinformation and hate speech spread at high scales in the new technological era.
The proposal includes five principles. First is societal trust and resilience. Here, the confidence people have in different sources of information is key. With the emergence of new trends in media information and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the UN strives to protect “Activists, journalists, humanitarians and United Nations personnel” and others from being silenced online. The second principle is healthy incentives, as the UN proposes a shift in incentive structures as current advertising and monetization business models lack a focus on human rights. Third is public empowerment, which aims at giving individuals the power to access diverse information and scrutinize the reliability of sources. This principle evidences the importance of digital literacy. The fourth principle is independent, free and pluralistic media. This recognizes the protection of the free press as a key element of the rule of law and democracy, as journalists and media influenced by advertising revenues affect the integrity of information. Finally, transparency and research aim at a global understanding of new technologies and how they spread both information and personal data.
As a result of AI’s growing influence, all principles recognize the need to regulate and understand how this technology revolves around information.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, stated “Everyone should be able to express themselves freely without fear of attack. Everyone should be able to access a range of views and information sources.” In particular, he argued big tech companies should take responsibility and acknowledge the damage some of their products inflict on society. The UN also urged member states to take action towards these objectives. As recognized by Melissa Fleming, Chief Communicator of the UN, governments do have a responsibility to act against an ecosystem of growing misinformation. Because of this, Fleming said, the five Principles for Information Integrity set a new standard to follow.
In order to achieve these principles, the document includes a series of recommendations for member states. These include among others, the protection of human rights and populations, ensuring free media and transparency, and strengthening global solidarity. In addition, the UN calls for finding multilateral solutions in the upcoming Summit of the Future. This meeting will be held in September, as world leaders are expected to act towards the principles proposed by the UN.
UN Special Adviser of the Secretary on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Nderitu previously warned that hate speech continues to significantly threaten global peace and security and frequently targets the most vulnerable in society.She stated, “Violence does not start when physical attacks are launched. Violence often starts with words. Words of hatred spread intolerance, divide societies, promote and endorse discrimination and incite violence.”
