World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

 The aim of the following recommendations is to operationalize the five principles into actionable steps for stakeholders across the information ecosystem. Intended as a holistic blueprint, these recommendations range from the legal obligations of States to the responsibilities of the technology sector to best practices for media and civil society. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAKEHOLDERS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ACTORS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADVERTISERS   RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHER PRIVATE SECTOR ACTORS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEWS MEDIA, RESEARCHERS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATES AND POLITICAL ACTORS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS

  Large technology companies, many headquartered in locations where technology regulation is limited, wield immense power. They profit from vast troves of data harvested on user behaviour, allowing them to shape transnational information flows and control digital experiences on a global scale. To redress this power imbalance, a framework is needed that prioritizes both transparency and independent oversight. Users deserve control over their data and online experiences, with clear avenues for complaint and redress. Accountability mechanisms are needed to address the responsibility of technology companies for the consequences of the design and use of their products and services on human rights and social cohesion, including in crisis and conflict situations. This will require a critical and transparent assessment of platform architecture to identify features that erode information integrity and undermine human rights. Strategies to prevent and mitigate such erosion should be impleme...

  Government, private and public sector actors involved in at least one stage of the artificial intelligence system life cycle. As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies rapidly evolve, these capabilities are poised to reshape our world. From automating everyday tasks to aiding scientific discovery, the potential benefits are vast. However, alongside this progress lies a critical need to ensure safe, secure and trustworthy AI design , development, deployment and decommission. Bias and lack of diversity in training data can lead AI systems to generate misleading information and perpetuate unfairness. This ability to generate realistic content can be misused at scale to create risks to the integrity of the information ecosystem. Emerging risks can be mitigated by prioritizing transparency and fairness in the life cycle of AI technologies. A collaborative effort across government, technology companies and academic and research institutions is needed to ensure that AI is designe...

  The actions of a broader range of private sector entities not directly involved in the technology sector can impact information spaces, serving to both weaken and support information integrity. Businesses have a responsibility to respect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and to information, and can form collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders to help achieve a healthier information ecosystem. Recommendations  Other Private Sector Actors  The actions of a broader range of private sector entities not directly involved in the technology sector can impact information spaces, serving to both weaken and support information integrity. Businesses have a responsibility to respect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and to information, and can form collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders to help achieve a healthier information ecosystem.  a. Uphold integrity . Uphold human rights, including the right to f...

States shoulder an indispensable responsibility for fortifying the Global Principles for Information Integrity . This begins with State obligations to respect, protect and promote human rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive and impart information. States play a central role in shaping information spaces owing to their legal and regulatory authority, control over public resources and ability to build domestic and international coalitions, among other factors. As part of their human rights obligations, States must protect against human rights abuses within their territory and/or jurisdiction by businesses, taking appropriate steps to prevent, investigate, punish and redress such abuse through effective policies, legislation, regulations and adjudication. States have different technical and financial capacities when engaging with the information ecosystem. Gaps in infrastructure and in access to technology and financial resources ha...

The United Nations conducted wide-ranging and diverse consultations on information integrity across all regions with its Member States , civil society, including youth-led organizations, media, academia and private sector representatives. Stakeholders spoke through country-level discussions, virtual sessions, bilateral meetings and via a globally disseminated public online form. These consultations highlighted a demand for unifying recommendations that are applicable across all geographies and contexts and that address the requirements of all individuals, in particular attending to the needs of groups in situations of vulnerability and marginalization. In response, the United Nations Global Principles forInformation Integrity offer a holistic framework to guide multi-stakeholder action for a healthier information ecosystem. This framework consists of five principles for strengthening information integrity , each of which include recommendations for key stakeholder groups. The princi...