reSee.it - Related Video Feed

We partnered with Google to address the issue of distorted information on climate change. Now, when you search for climate change on Google, you'll find reliable UN resources at the top. We believe it's important for people to have access to accurate scientific information, and we're taking a proactive approach. This is a significant challenge that requires the involvement of all sectors of society.

Digital platforms are being misused to subvert science and spread disinformation and hate to billions of people. This global threat demands clear and coordinated global action. A policy brief on information integrity on digital platforms puts forward a framework for a concerned international response.

Twitter firings have left us without a way to flag abusive or violent content. Disinformation can now be promoted by anyone with a blue tick. However, we are working with platforms to promote reliable information on COVID and climate change. We have a strong group of messengers who share UN content with their followers and educate users on combating disinformation. Our new slogan is "pause, take care before you share." We are establishing a central capacity at the UN to monitor and react to mis and disinformation and hate speech. We will also develop a UN code of conduct for digital platforms to set global standards for information integrity and create a more humane Internet.

We are enhancing disinformation research and tracking in the Surgeon General's office. Additionally, we are flagging problematic posts on Facebook for review.

Social media companies are deleting accounts spreading disinformation about the pandemic, including state-sponsored groups. Violence against healthcare workers and minority populations is increasing. Some countries are implementing limited internet shutdowns to manage the overwhelming amount of misinformation. Experts believe that identifying every bad actor is a challenging task, as new disinformation campaigns are generated daily. Controlling and reducing access to information may be necessary to combat the problem. However, it's not just trolls spreading fake news, but also political leaders. It is crucial for news organizations, public health groups, and companies to promote accurate information to protect the public.

We launched an initiative to improve research on how automated processes curate online experiences. Understanding misinformation and disinformation is crucial. Ignoring this problem threatens the values we hold dear. Disinformation can perpetuate wars, hinder climate change efforts, and violate human rights. We must prevent these weapons of war from becoming normalized. Though we face many battles, there is cause for optimism. For every new weapon, there is a new tool to overcome it. We have the means, we just need the collective will.

We need to collaborate with other countries to regulate misinformation online. An international body, similar to Interpol, could ensure accurate information on the internet and social media.

People are recognizing the harms of climate disinformation and the existence of toxic information ecosystems, demanding change. Brazil's G20 presidency is prioritizing information integrity as fundamental to progress. UNESCO has been working on media literacy, releasing guidelines for regulators. The UN released Global Principles on Information Integrity in June. A global digital compact was adopted by member states, including a section on information integrity, reinforcing the importance of viable information. It also calls for assessing the impact of mis- and disinformation on sustainable development goals.

As leaders, we must address the challenge of disinformation without compromising free speech. Ignoring this issue threatens the values we hold dear. It's difficult to end a war if people believe it's legal and noble. Similarly, addressing climate change becomes challenging if people deny its existence. Upholding human rights is hindered by hateful rhetoric and dangerous ideologies. We face battles on multiple fronts, but there is hope. For every new weapon, there is a tool to overcome it. Despite attempts to create chaos, there is a collective determination to restore order. We have the means, we just need the collective will.

The speaker states that they partnered with Google because, initially, Googling "climate change" yielded "incredibly distorted information" at the top of search results. As a result of the partnership, UN resources now appear at the top of Google searches for climate change. The speaker asserts that they "own the science" related to climate change and believe "the world should know it." The speaker also indicates that the platforms themselves are taking action on this issue.

Many people overlook their options in dealing with misinformation on social media. Early detection is key to tracking and countering harmful narratives. Legal action can be taken against profit-driven disinformation networks. Fact-checking alone may not change beliefs, so building counter narratives is crucial. Our organization helps detect, assess, and mitigate the impact of misinformation to prevent future issues. The recent events at the US Capitol highlight the real-world consequences of online disinformation. Translation: It is important to detect and counter harmful narratives early to prevent misinformation from causing real-world harm. Legal action can be taken against profit-driven disinformation networks, and building counter narratives is essential. Our organization helps organizations address the impact of misinformation to prevent future issues. The recent events at the US Capitol show the consequences of online misinformation.

We launched an initiative to understand how automated processes shape online experiences and combat misinformation. We must address this challenge without compromising free speech. Ignoring it threatens our shared values. We need to acknowledge its existence to bring about change. Hateful rhetoric and dangerous ideologies undermine human rights. We can prevent these weapons from becoming a norm in warfare. Though we face battles on multiple fronts, there is reason for optimism. With collective will, we have the means to overcome new challenges and restore order.

We launched an initiative to improve research on how automated processes curate online experiences. Understanding misinformation and disinformation is crucial. Ignoring this problem threatens the values we hold dear. It's important to address the challenge, as it affects ending wars, tackling climate change, and upholding human rights. Those who perpetuate chaos aim to weaken communities and countries. We must prevent these weapons from becoming a part of warfare. Despite facing many battles, there is cause for optimism. For every new weapon, there is a tool to overcome it. We have the means, we just need the collective will.

We actively addressed disinformation and misinformation during the pandemic and the US election by collaborating with the editing community. This model will be used in future elections globally. We aim to identify threats early by working with governments and other platforms to understand the landscape.

To combat disinformation, it is crucial to unite countries and trusted sources to address false campaigns effectively. Trusted interlocutors, such as survivors, employers, faith leaders, and health workers, can help spread accurate information. Collaboration with the private sector to remove false information is essential. International organizations like the UN and WHO play a vital role in combating misinformation at a government level. Trust in these organizations is key to countering disinformation effectively.

We are partnering with Twitter to provide accurate vaccine information when users search certain hashtags like vaccination or anti-vaccine. Public health agency websites will appear in the search results. Similar collaborations have been done with other organizations. We have also discussed with Facebook how to remove scientifically disproven or debunked information. Facebook is currently working with the WHO and the US CDC to identify misinformation. If experts confirm it as misinformation, Facebook can remove it. Additionally, we are collaborating with Google and other platforms.

Disinformation and hate speech have created a toxic environment, forcing the UN to act strategically in its communications. The UN aims to shape debate, educate, and deliver facts about global issues like human suffering, climate change, and war. However, UN content was being down-ranked on platforms, and the organization faced online attacks. Every Sustainable Development Goal is impacted by disinformation and hate speech. To combat this, the UN introduced global principles on information integrity, a blueprint for a healthy information ecosystem. These principles emphasize safety by design and transparency, aligning with calls to elevate information integrity.

We partnered with Google to address the issue of distorted information on climate change. When searching for climate change, Google now provides UN resources at the top of the results. We believe it is important to be proactive in sharing accurate scientific information. This is a significant challenge that requires active involvement from all sectors of society.

This week, an initiative was launched with companies and nonprofits to improve research and understanding of how automated processes curate online experiences. This is important for understanding online mis- and disinformation, a challenge that leaders must address. While it's easy to dismiss disinformation, ignoring it poses a threat to valued norms. How can wars end if people believe their reasons are legal and noble? How can climate change be tackled if people don't believe it exists? How are human rights upheld when people are subject to hateful rhetoric? The goals of those who perpetuate disinformation are to cause chaos, reduce the ability to defend, disband communities, and collapse countries' collective strength. There is an opportunity to ensure these weapons of war do not become an established part of warfare. Despite facing many battles, there is cause for optimism because for every new weapon, there is a new tool to overcome it. We have the means; we just need the collective will.

The transcript discusses a 2010 Rockefeller Foundation document titled Scenarios for the Future of Technology and International Development, focusing on a scenario called Lockstep. In this scenario, a pandemic strikes in 2012, overwhelming even the best-prepared nations. Approximately 20% of the global population becomes infected and about 8 million people die within seven months. The pandemic devastates economies as international travel and global supply chains collapse, and even developed countries struggle with containment. China is highlighted as having greater success due to rapid, mandatory quarantines and near-closed borders, which saves millions of lives and enables a faster post-pandemic recovery. The account notes that highly intrusive real-time tracking of a largely compliant population was key to lifting lockdowns in Wuhan. The document also asserts that during the pandemic, leaders worldwide imposed airtight rules and restrictions, from mandatory mask-wearing to temperature checks at entry points to communal spaces. Even after the pandemic fades, there is a lasting shift toward more authoritarian control and oversight, with citizens accepting reduced sovereignty and privacy in exchange for safety and stability. In developed countries, biometric IDs and a suite of new regulations are introduced to restore order and economic growth, with the overall message that increased oversight helps achieve stability. The transcript then shifts to Event 201, a high-level pandemic exercise held on October 18, 2019, organized by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The exercise simulated the consequences of a pandemic and the societal and economic challenges it would pose, using a coronavirus-like pathogen codenamed Caps. Participants describe how a significant portion of identified cases require hospitalization, causing strain on health systems. They note that some individuals with mild symptoms can still spread the virus unknowingly, and emphasize that disinformation and misinformation undermine the response. There is discussion about how governments, international organizations, and businesses should counter misinformation and ensure reliable information reaches the public. It’s noted that social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have identified and removed a large number of accounts spreading disinformation about the outbreak. Some participants argue that strong measures to manage information are necessary, even if it means restricting access to information, to prevent misinformation from jeopardizing the pandemic response or causing political instability. The video then intersperses commentary questioning the coincidence that the 2019 exercise apparently anticipated the 2020 outbreak, with a skeptical tone about whether the scenario was preplanned or predictive. Additional voices from public health organizations warn that an epidemic—whether naturally caused or intentionally—could cause massive harm, with the possibility of ten million excess deaths. A final note reflects on the sense that the world was already prepared in many ways before 2020, suggesting that the pandemic response was part of a long-standing preparation.

In response to the global risk report, I want to address the concern of disinformation and misinformation. We have been focusing on this issue since the beginning of my term. Through the Digital Services Act, we have defined the responsibilities of large internet platforms in promoting and spreading content. This includes protecting children and vulnerable groups from hate speech. It is crucial to protect our offline values online, especially in the era of generative AI. The World Economic Forum Global Risk Report also highlights artificial intelligence as a top potential risk for the next decade.

Twitter firings have left us without a way to flag abusive or violent content. Disinformation can now be promoted by anyone with a blue tick. However, we are working with platforms to promote reliable information on COVID and climate change. We have a strong group of messengers who share UN content with their followers and educate users on combating disinformation. Our new slogan is "pause, take care before you share." We are establishing a central capacity at the UN to monitor and react to mis and disinformation and hate speech. We will also develop a UN code of conduct for digital platforms to set global standards for information integrity and create a more humane Internet.

We launched an initiative to improve research on how automated processes curate online experiences. Understanding misinformation and disinformation is crucial, but we must address this challenge without compromising free speech. Ignoring it threatens the values we hold dear. If people don't believe a war exists, how can we end it? Hateful rhetoric and ideology undermine human rights. Those who perpetuate chaos aim to weaken others. We have an opportunity to prevent these weapons from becoming part of warfare. We have the means; we need the collective will.

Digital platforms are being misused to subvert science and spread disinformation and hate to billions of people. This global threat demands clear and coordinated global action. A policy brief on information integrity on digital platforms puts forward a framework for a concerned international response.

It's easy to blame those who believe or spread mis/disinformation. Governments, internet, and social media companies have a responsibility to prevent the spread of harmful lies and promote access to accurate health information. The WHO is working with partners, companies, and researchers to understand how misinformation and disinformation spreads, who is targeted, how they are influenced, and what can be done to counter this problem.