UN officials looking to crack down on spread of online disinformation

AS World leaders gather at the UN General Assembly this week, THEY’LL HAVE THEIR WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM.

THERE’S THE CLIMATE CRISIS – FOOD INSECURITY, AND THE INVASION OF UKRAINE, JUST FOR STARTERS.

BUT THERE’S ALSO ANOTHER TASK AT HAND – ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS – THE UNITED NATIONS IS LOOKING TO WIN THE INFORMATION WAR. 

IT’S PART OF AN EFFORT TO “MASSIVELY RAMP UP” THEIR RESPONSE TO ONLINE “DISINFORMATION.”

MELISSA FLEMING – THE U-N UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS –SPOKE AT THE NOBEL PRIZE SUMMIT BACK IN MAY.

THERE – FLEMING GAVE A SPEECH CALLED “HEALING OUR TROUBLED INFORMATION ECOSYSTEM” AND SAID – THE UNITED NATIONS IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR INFORMATION INTEGRITY ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS.

FLEMING SAYS THE GOAL IS TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF BOTH MIS- AND DIS-INFORMATION AS WELL AS HATE SPEECH ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

ACCORDING TO THE U-N… MISINFORMATION IS THE “ACCIDENTAL SPREAD OF INACCURATE INFORMATION” AND DISINFORMATION IS “INACCURATE INFORMATION THAT INTENDS TO DECEIVE AND IS SPREAD IN ORDER TO DO SERIOUS HARM.”

(MELISSA FLEMING / UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS)

“SO WE’RE CREATING AT THE UN A CENTRAL CAPACITY TO MONITOR AND ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO RAPIDLY REACT WHEN MIS- AND DISINFORMATION AND HATE SPEECH IS NOT JUST THREATENING OUR PEOPLE, OUR OPERATIONS, BUT ALSO THE ISSUES AND THE CAUSES THAT WE’RE WORKING ON. BUT ALSO, WE’RE GOING TO BE GEARING UP OUR VERIFIED INITIATIVE AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPING THIS U-N CODE OF CONDUCT ON INFORMATION INTEGRITY AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS HOPING TO SET GLOBAL STANDARDS THAT WE CAN ALL ADVOCATE AROUND SO WE CAN COLLECTIVELY WORK FOR A MORE HUMANE INTERNET.”

ACCORDING TO FLEMING – SINCE ELON MUSK ACQUIRED “X” – FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER – AND FIRED HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES – THERE’S NO WAY FOR U-N OFFICIALS TO CALL SOMEONE AT “X” FOR HELP IN FLAGGING CONTENT THAT’S MISLEADING, HATEFUL, ABUSIVE OR INCITING VIOLENCE.

(MELISSA FLEMING / UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS)

“WE’RE NOW SEEING THAT ALMOST ANYONE CAN PROMOTE DISINFORMATION FOR THE PRICE OF A BLUE TICK.”

WITHOUT CONTENT MODERATORS – X DEVELOPED PUBLIC ‘COMMUNITY NOTES’ WITH THE GOAL OF ADDING CONTEXT TO “POTENTIALLY MISLEADING TWEETS”. 

FLEMING SAYS THE U-N HAS TEAMED UP WITH THE PLATFORM – TO ELEVATE RELIABLE INFORMATION AROUND COVID AND CLIMATE TO AMPLIFY WHAT THEY CALL “TRUSTED MESSENGERS.”

AT THE END OF HER SPEECH… FLEMING SAID THE U-N IS LOOKING “JOIN FORCES AND HEAL OUR INFORMATION ECOSYSTEM” – WHICH THEY’RE LOOKING TO DO THROUGH A NEW CODE OF CONDUCT.

AND THIS IS HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT… 

LAST YEAR – THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CALLED ON THE U-N – TO RESPOND TO THE SPREAD OF DISINFORMATION ONLINE.

SO IN AUGUST OF 2022 – THE U-N SECRETARY GENERAL -ANTONIO GUTERRES – RELEASED HIS “COUNTERING DISINFORMATION” REPORT – WHICH STATES THE U-N GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS CONCERNED OVER DISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND WELCOMES EFFORTS “TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN COUNTERING DISINFORMATION… FOR THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS”

BACK IN FEBRUARY – GUTERRES SAID THEY’RE CALLING ON ACTION FROM TECH COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTS TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF MIS- AND DIS-INFORMATION ONLINE.

MUSK RESPONDED to GUTERRES ON X SAYING – “THE U-N IS MORE LIKELY TO CAUSE, RATHER THAN PREVENT, DISINFORMATION”

SO AS OF RIGHT NOW – THERE’S NO ENFORCEMENT IN PLACE AND WE’RE NOT SURE WHAT ACTION UN OFFICIALS PLAN TO TAKE.

TODAY GUTERRES AND OTHER UN OFFICIALS ARE ASKING FOR YOUR INPUT IN DEVELOPING A “CODE OF CONDUCT” FOR INFORMATION ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS THAT “SEEKS TO PROVIDE A CONCERTED GLOBAL RESPONSE TO INFORMATION THREATS THAT IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHTS TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND OPINION AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION.”

IF YOU’D LIKE TO PROVIDE YOUR INPUT – VISIT OUR REPORT ON THIS STORY AT S-A-N DOT COM AND HIT THE LINK TO THE U-N WEBSITE.

YOU HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 1ST.