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A Global Guideline for Digital Information

SpeakerS:

Simon Bishop, CEO, BBC Media Action
Nighat Dad, Founder, Digital Rights Foundation; Board Member, Oversight Board
H.E. Melissa Fleming, Under Secretary-General for Global Communications, United Nations

“We all know misinformation is not a new phenomenon, but I think we also recognize the explosive growth in misinformation, and that’s likely to continue in the years ahead.”

– Simon Bishop

“The alarm bells are ringing and hopefully everybody will come together and make our information ecosystems more healthy. We need it really desperately.”

– H.E. Melissa Fleming

“We have to be very inclusive and the voices that are from the marginalized and vulnerable communities are on the table. They shouldn’t only be on the table, they should sit at the same height.”

– Nighat Dad

Key takeaways & next steps:

  • Misinformation and disinformation in the digital age pose significant risks to global initiatives like addressing climate change, democracy, and human rights, with tangible consequences like inciting violence and undermining peace missions.
  • The United Nations is crafting a voluntary global code of conduct for information integrity on digital platforms, aiming to set global standards emphasizing human rights, freedom of expression, transparency, and multi-stakeholder involvement.
  • Inclusivity is essential in developing disinformation guidelines, involving civil society, marginalized groups, and diverse global perspectives. Holding platforms and governments accountable, especially across languages and contexts, is crucial.
  • The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in spreading disinformation, especially via deep fakes, raises concerns about further erosion of trust. Urgent action is needed to address AI-related challenges in safeguarding information integrity.