Global Principles for Information Integrity

• Context (DTE): UN announces a global framework to fight online misinformation and hate speech.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres says erosion of information integrity compromises the UN’s missions and priorities, including peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts.

Global Principles for Information Integrity (GPII)

• It is a comprehensive framework aimed at addressing the escalating threats posed by misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech in the digital realm.
• It emphasises the necessity of safeguarding human rights and the urgent need for a coordinated international response to make online spaces safer and more humane.
• The seeds for the GPII were sown in the 2021 UN report Our Common Agenda, which envisioned future global cooperation and multilateral action.

Comprehensive recommendations under UN GPII

• Combating disinformation and hate speech: Governments, tech companies, advertisers, and media should avoid supporting or spreading disinformation and hate speech.
• Promoting media freedom: Governments should ensure access to information, maintain free and independent media, and protect journalists, researchers, and civil society.
• Enhancing tech company responsibilities: Tech companies should design products with safety and privacy in mind, apply policies consistently, and focus on protecting vulnerable groups.
• Ethical AI development: AI developers must ensure ethical & safe AI upholding human rights.
• Reforming business models: Tech companies should adopt models that prioritise human rights, privacy, and safety and give users control over their data.
• Transparency in advertising: Advertisers should demand transparency to ensure their budgets don’t fund disinformation or hate.
• Data transparency and accountability: Tech companies and AI developers should be transparent, allow academic access to data, conduct independent audits, and develop accountability frameworks.
• Protecting children: Governments should take special measures to protect and empower children and support parents, guardians, and educators.

Impact of harmful information on global stability

• The unchecked proliferation of false narratives is not only fueling conflict but also undermining democracy, human rights, public health and climate action.
• With the advent of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, these threats are becoming more severe, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as children.
• A recent UN staff survey revealed that 80% of respondents believe harmful information endangers them and the communities they serve.