More than 85% of people are concerned about the impact of misinformation online, and 87% believe it has already harmed their country’s politics, a global survey has found, as the United Nations unveils a plan to combat the phenomenon.
Audrey Azoulay, director-general of the UN’s cultural body (UNESCO), told reporters on Monday that false information and hate speech online – accelerated and amplified by social media platforms – pose “major risks to social cohesion, peace and stability”.
A regulation is urgently needed “to protect access to information…that simultaneously protects freedom of expression and human rights,” Azoulay said as she presented a “management plan” for governments, regulators and platforms.
A survey commissioned by UNESCO in 16 countries where national elections will be held next year – with a total of 2.5 billion voters – showed how urgent the need for effective regulation has become, the organization said.
An Ipsos survey of 8,000 people in countries including Austria, Croatia, the US, Algeria, Mexico, Ghana and India found that 56% of internet users get their news mainly from social media, far more than from TV (44%). . or media portals (29%).
Social networks were the main source of news in almost every country, despite trust in the information they provide being significantly less than in traditional media: 50% versus 66% for television, 63% for radio and 57% for media websites and apps.
In all 16 countries, 68% of respondents said that social networks spread fake news the most, ahead of messaging apps (38%), a belief that “prevails across countries, age groups, social backgrounds and political preferences.”
Disinformation was overwhelmingly seen as a concrete threat, with 85% saying they were concerned about its impact. Eighty-seven percent said disinformation has already had a major impact on national political life and will play a role in the 2024 election. Hate speech was also seen as widespread: 67% of respondents said they had seen it online (and 74% of those under 35 years). A large majority (88%) said governments and regulators needed to address both issues, and 90% also wanted platforms to take action.
Caution is considered particularly important during election campaigns. Of those surveyed, 89% called for government and regulatory intervention, and 91% expect social media platforms to be even more cautious when democracy is directly at stake.
“People are very concerned about misinformation, in all countries and social categories – age, education, rural or urban,” said Mathieu Gallard of Ipsos. “They are especially worried during elections – and they want all actors to fight it.”
UNESCO said its plan, based on seven key principles, emerged from a consultation process it described as “unprecedented” in the UN system, drawing on more than 10,000 contributions from 134 countries over an 18-month period. Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoi, UNESCO’s head of freedom of expression, said more than 50 countries already regulate social media, but this is often inconsistent with international norms on freedom of speech and human rights.
The guidelines represent “a strong agenda based on a human rights approach, designed to inform and inspire governments and regulators,” he said, adding that several African and Latin American countries have already expressed interest.
At least one major platform told the 194-member UN body it would prefer a consistent global governance framework over a proliferation of national and regional systems, UNESCO said. Ovalanira to organize the World Conference of Regulators in 2024.
It states that seven key principles must be followed to ensure that human rights impact becomes “the compass for all decision-making at every stage and by all stakeholders”. Well-resourced independent public regulators must be established everywhere, UNESCO argues, and should work closely as part of a wider network to prevent digital organizations from exploiting differences in national regulations. Platforms must effectively moderate content in all regions and languages, and be “accountable and transparent about algorithms that are too often geared towards maximum engagement at the cost of reliable information.”
Regulators and platforms must also take stronger measures – including risk assessment, content labeling and greater transparency around political advertising – during elections and crises such as armed conflicts and disasters, UNESCO said, The Guardian writes.
