IGF 2020 WS #260 COVID-19 “Dis-infodemic”: Challenges, lessons, opportunities

Information

Session

Thematic Track:

Topic(s):

Organizer 1: Intergovernmental Organization, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 2: Intergovernmental Organization, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 3: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Speaker 1: Moez Chakchouk, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 2: Beeban Kidron, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Piotr Dmochowski-Lipski, Intergovernmental Organization, Eastern European Group
Speaker 4: Cristina Tardaguila, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Format:

Debate - Auditorium - 90 Min

Description:

COVID-19 has spawned a range of disinformation types by different actors that risk having direct impact on lives and livelihoods. Falsehoods, fabrications and misinformation have sewed confusion about life-saving personal and policy choices, impacting nearly every person on the planet and across the global economy. On 14 April 2020, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for “countering the scourge of misinformation - a poison putting more lives at risk”. He “salute(d) the journalists and others fact-checking the mountain of misleading stories and social media posts.” Earlier the World Health Organization had described a ‘massive infodemic’ that is impeding access to trustworthy sources and reliable information. Through this work, UNESCO invites representatives of governments, the private sector, civil society, media, journalists and other key stakeholders who have committed to “flatten the curve” of the viral COVID-19 “disinfodemic”, with a focus on major goals designed to: 1) Effectively contain and counter the frequently dangerous falsehoods caused by misinformation and disinformation; 2) Assist UNESCO Member States to align responses to international human rights standards on freedom of expression, access to information and privacy; 3) Empower citizens through media and information literacy skills; 4) Support quality independent journalism to provide verifiable and reliable information; 5) Analyze automated algorithmic responses to combat the “disinfodemic”, while addressing automation errors in the absence of human fact checkers and the dilution of a robust appeal and correction method. The global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic inspires the emergence of a consensus for dialogue on the need for cooperation among multiple stakeholders to contain the deadly risks of disinformation during a pandemic. This search for common ground may facilitate a broader dialogue on the opportunities for consensus about disinformation responses across other dimensions, impacting achievement of access to information.

Issues:

The COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the “disinfodemic” surrounding it have raised challenges. These challenges also engender new opportunities, including those identified in two recent UNESCO policy briefs on the subject with the following recommendations: 1) For identification, monitoring and investigation of disinformation and the networks that propel it, along with normative, educational and credibility-labeling steps; 2) For “sunset” clauses on emergency provisions that weaken and may normalize infringements on privacy, freedom of expression, access to information and other human rights norms; 3) For internet communications companies to put multi-stakeholder engagement into top gear, demonstrating their goodwill to improve policy and practices in support of access to quality information, including independent journalism, transparency on their controls of content, and redress mechanisms; 4) For governments, internet communications companies and other donors to support core funding for news media and independent fact checking efforts, with “no strings attached”; 5) For policy makers and institutions to promote open data sources that contain provisions and due safeguards for privacy, especially with reference to surveillance and health data gathering; 6) For states to commit to transparency on strategies to combat the pandemic and recover from it, including public spending on pandemics and economic recovery plans, as a means to counter false information; and 7) For internet communications companies to analyze and upgrade automated algorithmic responses to combat the disinfodemic, while addressing automation errors in the absence of human fact checkers and the dilution of a robust appeal and correction method during the crisis.

Policy Question(s):

What actions can governments take to enhance access to information and protect freedom of expression, while countering disinformation? How can tech companies moderate the spread of false content on their platforms, while providing transparency, accountability and possibility for redress? What role do fact-checkers play in countering disinformation, and how can their work be strengthened?

Expected Outcomes:

The session will aim to achieve the following objectives: - Facilitate a conversation with actors that have developed resources to combat misinformation related to COVID-19 from the UN, civil society, internet platforms, and media - Discuss available resources, including related to monitoring and fact-checking, media and information literacy, supporting quality journalism (including science journalism and investigative journalism), legislative and policy responses, access to information, open data, safety of journalists, human and AI curation by platforms. - Underscore the central importance of journalism as an essential public service in times of emergencies, and underline risks presented by the pandemic to freedom of expression (repressive laws and fines, expelling journalists, surveillance, censorship) and other human rights - Enable new forms of collaboration and medium and long-term projects to build capacity and better prepare journalists, educators, platforms and other stakeholders in case of future pandemics. - Identify common positions and strategies that can be incorporated in participants on efforts to counter disinformation. In addition to these outcomes the discussions will directly contribute to shaping UNESCO’s work in these areas. This will include supporting Member States to counter disinformation, providing technical advice Member States and other actors, and providing input to the UNESCO series on World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development.

Relevance to Internet Governance: Questions related freedom of expression and media, to the regulation (of self-regulation) of content have long been recognized as core components of internet governance. While there is global consensus that these rights should be protected (such as through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), the rapid production and circulation of disinformation and other harmful content has raised new concerns. Disinformation—whether related to elections, climate change, or public health—post problems that can lead to deadly consequences. Yet address this phenomenon while still respecting international human rights requires bringing together stakeholders from around the world to exchange ideas and good practices, and to identify ways forward. In addition to international organizations, the private sector, and civil society, this session will include a relatively new stakeholder, a representative of the WHO or the office of the UN SG Office—actors who have traditionally not participated in the IGF but have much to add to enrich these debates.

Relevance to Theme: The circulation of misinformation and disinformation leads people to lose trust in public institutions, the media and digital technologies. This trust requires the individuals know that the information they see and hear is true, and what is not can be recognized through critical thinking and skills to verify the source of information. Trust must be built among all stakeholders, in a multi-sector manner that empowers users. Without trust, people may abandon or wall off their use of the internet, leading to fragmentation, and threatening the human rights-based, open, accessible and multi-stakeholder nature of the internet (UNESCO’s concept of internet universality).

Discussion Facilitation:

The session is conceived as a roundtable discussion, with a strong role being played by the moderators in involving the invited speakers and audience in contributing to the achievement of the key expected outcomes of the session. After a brief introduction by the moderator and opening remarks by UNESCO’s ADG/CI Moez Chakchouk, the session will feature a live performance (or videostream) of Uganda musician and member of parliament Bobi Wine, who participated in the #DontGoViral campaign organized by UNESCO and i4policy to share information and counter disinformation and misinformation. Next will speak a representative for the UN, either from the WHO or the Office of the Secretary General on UN efforts to counter misinformation and disinformation. Julie Posetti will present a short summary of the typology of responses to COVID-19 detailed information the policy papers she co-authored for UNESCO on COVID-19 and disinformation, leading to a report of the Broadband Commission on Freedom of Expression and Disinformation. A representative of Facebook or Twitter will highlight the tremendous challenge of the circulation of misinformation and disinformation on their networks, the dangers such content presents to their users, and the new measures and partnerships they have taken to combat it. Renewed efforts by journalists to counter misinformation and disinformation will be presented by a journalist / factchecker. A representative of ARTICLE 19 will comment on the role of the media in countering misinformation, building on a policy brief produced by her NGO, which outlines recommendations for governments, civil society, private sector, and media. Finally, an academic will comment on the research into the spread of disinformation online. Following the discussion with the subject matter experts, the moderator will open the floor for questions and comments from the in-person and remote participants (30'). Depending on the room, either microphones will be available for participants to queue, or one or two persons will circulate with roving mics.

Online Participation:

Usage of IGF Official Tool. Additional Tools proposed: The session will take steps to integrate remote participants as equal members in the discussion. Notably, the remote moderator will have a microphone and will be in close contact with the in-person moderator, to signal when questions or comments are received and to adapt as situations arise. In order to ensure a large number of remote participants, the session will be promoted by UNESCO on its website and through its Field Offices. Additional continency measures will be planned in case the session will be held virtually due to travel restrictions connected with the COVID-19 pandemic

SDGs:

GOAL 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Reference Document