World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

Creating healthy incentives involves addressing the critical implications for  information ecosystem  integrity resulting from current business models, which depend on targeted advertising and other forms of content monetization as the dominant means of revenue generation . These models have provided unprecedented growth opportunities for businesses of all sizes, foremost the technology companies that own and operate digital platforms , and have given rise to a creator economy powered by and benefiting countless people. These models have also enabled financial incentives and opportunities for purveyors of disinformation and hate who exploit the attention economy in which technology companies track user behaviour to collect data, feeding algorithms that prioritize engagement in a bid to maximize potential revenue for advertisers and creators . Messaging designed to polarize and produce strong emotions is often that which generates the most engagement, with the result that alg...

  Empowerment for individuals navigating the information ecosystem demands that people have control over their online experience, can make informed decisions as to the media that they choose to consume and can express themselves freely. Public empowerment requires consistent access to diverse and reliable sources of information.   Digital spaces have in many ways served as catalysts for inclusive participation in public life, connecting people across geographical boundaries with shared aspirations for progress. When harnessed for good, these spaces can help empower individuals and give agency to those who are often excluded and marginalized . At the same. time, digital technologies can hinder genuine empowerment. Individuals frequently have little control over how their personal data are used , or over algorithmic content personalized by large technologycompanies , and face obstacles from information providers to understanding and accessing the criteria and mechanisms us...