Support UN initiative to safeguard information integrity

Information is a valued resource which guides government action and the lives of people.  Misinformation and disinformation destroy the integrity of information and results in creating cynicism that can mislead proper behavior.  In many cases, it has led to discrimination and hate that divided communities.  It has also become an obstruction to economic development and has caused financial losses to many.

The widespread threat to the integrity of information has elicited many initiatives from governments and private organizations.  The most recent was announced on June 25 when the United Nations launched the Global Principles for Information Integrity to fight the spread of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.

The move was announced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres who said: “At a time when billions of people are exposed to false narratives, distortions and lies, these principles lay out a clear path forward, firmly rooted in human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and opinion.”

He emphasized that combating misinformation and hate speech is critical to safeguarding democracy, human rights, public health, and climate action.

He pointed out the risks that even the UN’s own humanitarian and peacekeeping operations face, as they deal with a “tsunami of falsehoods” and “absurd conspiracy theories.”

“The spread of hatred and lies online is causing grave harm to our world,” he said, addressing the media at UN Headquarters, in New York.

A significant item that was highlighted which is a factor in feeding misinformation or disinformation is the algorithm which dictates what a person consumes as news in his or her social media accounts.

“No one should be at the mercy of an algorithm they don’t control, which was not designed to safeguard their interests, and which tracks their behavior to collect personal data and keep them hooked,” he said.

It is not coincidence that one finds a wave of information about a product related to topics one shows a preference to read at the moment. Consumers of digital content have become unconscious victims of the algorithm which tracks their interests and feeds them any information – including fake news.

The Global Principles aim to empower people to demand their rights, help protect children, ensure honest and trustworthy information for young people, and enable public interest-based media to convey reliable and accurate information, Mr. Guterres said.

The key recommendations of the principles include urging governments, tech companies, advertisers, and media to avoid using or amplifying disinformation and hate speech. At the same time, governments should ensure timely access to information, support an independent media landscape, and protect journalists and civil society, the UN recommended.

A very important recommendation is prioritizing privacy and safety.  The principles urge tech companies to “apply consistent policies and support information integrity, especially around elections – while stakeholders involved in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) should ensure its safe, responsible and ethical deployment factoring in human rights.”

As consumers of information, we should always be active in monitoring and reporting the presence of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech to create awareness on the sources which should be avoided.  We should organize community action if stronger action is needed to close or take down sites that continue to feed fake news.

It is the responsibility of each person who consumes digital content to safeguard the integrity of information.  The lives of people around the world and the health of our planet depend on true information.