New York City – UNESCO has unveiled a comprehensive set of guidelines aimed at governing digital platforms to safeguard users’ rights in the online world. This initiative comes in response to the escalating issues of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and conspiracy theories prevalent on social media and other digital platforms.
According to World Economic Forum, the organization highlights the need for a global, coherent response to the challenges posed by the digital world. These guidelines were developed through consultations with 134 countries and emphasize the responsibilities of states, digital platforms, intergovernmental organizations, the media, and individuals in respecting, protecting, and fulfilling human rights online.
The UNESCO guidelines are founded on five key principles:
Platforms Conduct Due Diligence on Human Rights: This principle mandates platforms to perform periodic risk assessments, particularly before elections, to maintain the integrity of voting processes. The focus is also on safeguarding the rights of women, girls, and journalists, who are often more vulnerable to online abuse and data misuse.
Adherence to International Human Rights Standards: The guidelines emphasize the importance of non-discriminatory practices in platform design, content moderation, and curation. This principle calls for combating biases and stereotypes that might affect marginalized groups, including women, girls, and indigenous communities.
Transparency of Platforms: UNESCO urges platforms to clearly communicate their adherence to their own terms of service and community standards, including through independent evaluation. Transparency is also expected in the platforms’ advertising practices and data collection methods to ensure users’ privacy and rights are not compromised.
Availability of Information and Tools for Users: Digital platforms are encouraged to make their terms of service available in the primary languages of all countries where they operate and to be responsive to user communications in these languages. Special considerations are advised for children and people with disabilities to ensure accessibility.
Accountability to Stakeholders: The guidelines call for effective reporting mechanisms for policy violations, considering local cultural sensitivities. A focus on rapid response to content that threatens human rights and special protections for children is also emphasized.
The World Economic Forum’s Toolkit for Digital Safety Design Interventions and Innovations supports these guidelines, aiming to harmonize global perceptions of online threats and address the fragmentation of efforts in tackling digital safety issues.
The release of these guidelines by UNESCO is a significant step in addressing the complex challenges of the digital age, where an estimated 4.75 billion people – 60% of the world’s population – use social media. These principles aim to foster an ‘internet of trust,’ ensuring that digital platforms serve as safe, respectful, and rights-preserving environments for all users.