UNESCO’s Post

Transcript

It's dinner time. Your family are around the table, the food is steaming hot, the mood is mellow. Then someone drops a bombshell. Have you seen the latest news on social media? No, that's not true. It's a load of conspiracies. The debate begins and the mood changes. Recognize this, 30 years ago, the Internet and social media revolutionized our lives. It was a moment of real social change. Suddenly, voices that had never been heard became loud and clear. In recent years, malicious actors who want to silence those voices and polarize opinion are making social media a fertile ground for miss and disinformation, for hate speech and conspiracy theories. It's become toxic. The very same tools that change the world are now being used to tear us apart. And the problem doesn't stop there. In order to protect us, governments consciously or unconsciously restrict freedom of expression and resort to censorship, even shutting down the Internet and putting journalists in jail for posting on social media. Meanwhile, digital platforms and tech companies stand by as harm is done. Things have to change. We need to allow people to participate in the conversation. We need reliable information, empowered citizens and content which reflects the diversity of voices. So how can we fix this? We all share the responsibility. This is why UNESCO has kicked off a global conversation. We held consultations around the world. And thousands gave us their feedback. Our goal? Fostering peace and dialogue in the digital sphere, fighting disinformation and hate speech, and protecting everyone's right to express themselves freely and access reliable information. UNESCO has produced a set of guidelines for the governance of digital platforms. These can help governments protect freedom of expression and journalists without using the wrong kind of restrictions. There are tools for companies to manage risks and become more transparent, and for civil society and the media act as a watchdog when human rights are violated. We have the tools, now it's time to act. Let's build an Internet for trust. Learn how to participate at www.unesco.org.