Watchman: The Silencing of the Lambs the United Nations Calls for ‘Global Guidelines’ to Combat ‘Disinformation’ on Social Media

HNewsWire:

Last month, over 4,300 individuals attended a meeting hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to demand for worldwide rules for regulating social media platforms.

The three-day Internet for Trust Conference attempted to build the regulatory legislation that will serve as the framework for its public draft, which will be presented in September.

"The blurring of true and false boundaries, the highly coordinated denial of scientific facts, the amplification of disinformation and conspiracies—these did not emerge from social media. Yet, in the absence of control, they thrive much better than the truth "Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, stated during her introductory statement.

She asked governments to work together to ensure that information remains a global common good, noting that "only by fully measuring this technological transformation can we assure it does not sacrifice human rights, freedom of expression, and democracy."

According to UNESCO, at least 55 countries are working on various legislation for digital platforms. The most recent efforts strive to combine these various nations' efforts to produce a worldwide norm based on human rights.

The Brasilia riot, in which protestors attacked the Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace in January, was a crucial example used to emphasize the necessity for global norms. Jair Bolsonaro supporters argued that Lula da Silva should not have been inaugurated as president because he had been convicted of crimes and should not have been put on the ballot.

Another example of so-called "disinformation" on the internet was the COVID-19 epidemic. Throughout the global pandemic, many different points of view were held and advocated, although some were prohibited while others were supported. The United Nations intends to give standardized recommendations to help with future global health challenges.

The new "misinformation" criteria may raise several problems for free speech supporters. Certain American liberties may face criticism from some of the guidelines that advocate limited free expression, which contradicts the First Amendment.

Others contend that strong people can distort and use global rules for nefarious reasons. Concerns have also been raised when leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin have utilized media control to promote certain opinions while censoring others.