EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Informal meeting on the Code of Conduct for Information Integrity on Digital Platforms
Under-Secretary General Fleming, distinguished colleagues,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States.
First, let me thank you for undertaking this important task. We look forward to the policy brief in May and the development of the Global Code of Conduct.
Citizens should be empowered to make their own, informed choices, based on access to diverse, transparent, reliable information. This requires, as we know, promoting information and media literacy, reliable sources of information and quality journalism, and protecting human rights – starting with freedom of expression.
It also requires strengthening accountability of the multiple actors at play – both public authorities and private actors – and we support the UNSG’s quest in this respect. More than ever, international principles are needed on information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, allowing for stronger joint action and accountability.
We stand ready to share the EU’s experience and expertise. This includes the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to create a transparent and safe online space to safeguard users against illegal content, online discrimination, and cyber incidents; as well as the Code of Practice on Disinformation which contains commitments in crucial areas you have mentioned, like demonetization (cutting financial incentives for purveyors of disinformation), transparency of political advertising, ensuring integrity of services, or empowering users and researchers.
We appreciate your focus on digital platforms across the globe, given their impact in amplifying harmful contents, including disinformation, also when they originate in offline sources. To address the problem effectively, we must consider the broader ecosystem, including the use of fake websites to host harmful content, of messenger services, of services selling bots or fake identities, etc. It remains essential to address information manipulation and disinformation no matter the medium, both offline and online, and to do so in languages that people understand following a multilingual approach. Allow me to recall that, until we are all fully multilingual, we need interpretation in meetings like this one.
Transparency regarding the origin of information and the way it is produced, sponsored, used, disseminated and targeted should be improved. Access to data for researchers to help understand the trends and techniques, as well as the rapidly evolving phenomena including content created by Artificial Intelligence, is key in this regard.
Finally, the CoC should highlight the need to protect human rights and especially freedom of expression in the fight against disinformation. Any limitations to freedom of expression must remain within strictly defined parameters flowing from international human rights law. Some terms like “disinformation” are increasingly manipulated to crack down on freedom of expression, under the disguise of tackling disinformation. An evolution of the threat also includes the systematic suppression of independent voices and independent media. If the Code does not clearly specify what issues shall be tackled, this could be exploited.
Of course this endeavour is connected with the work on the Global Digital Compact. The EU supports all efforts to close the various digital divides, including through sustainable, long-term human capacity building to ensure that all of the world’s people are able to benefit from the digital transformation in a safe way.
On the format of the document, it is very relevant for the CoC to include recommendations for different actors. The global study and stakeholder consultation you envisage, if broad and inclusive including civil society and youth, has the potential to understand how information manipulation and interference manifests, which harms it can cause in different contexts (e.g. conflict-prone regions, electoral processes, etc.) and the fundamental rights and freedoms it threatens.
Cooperation with the private industry and in particular social media platforms is crucial. Platforms should better mitigate the risks stemming from the use of their services, protect freedom of expression and promote free democratic debate online and be held accountable for doing so. They should actively aim at a more accountable information ecosystem, with increased transparency, enhanced fact-checking capabilities and collective knowledge on information manipulation. A holistic approach is of course needed, covering platforms from all regions and considering the multi-platform and cross-platform manipulation. We also welcome the inclusion of other private actors in the scope of your work.
In the broader effort of making the digital space more humane, the CoC should also address the responsibility of states. Recommendations could provide guidance on what responsible state behaviour means in the information environment of the 21st century, including in interactions with digital platforms.
How do you envisage to follow-up on the Code and its recommendations and how do you intend to pursue regular engagement with stakeholders?
Once again, we look forward to your proposals and stand ready to work with you to foster inclusive solutions and enhanced cooperation of public authorities, private sector, media & civil society, to protect individuals against harmful content.
Thank you.