UN survey finds two-thirds of information on social media is not fact-checked

A new UN survey has found that an alarming two-thirds of the content uploaded to digital media platforms, including social media, is not verified for accuracy or fact-checked for truth.

This is a disturbing finding since misinformation and fake news is a burgeoning plague on all social media platforms and is corrupting election processes in democracies around the world.

UNESCO, the UN agency for culture and education, conducted a rare survey that examined 500 online influencers across 45 countries and found critical gaps in content verification practices.

The study said 63 per cent of influencers lack rigorous fact-checking protocols, despite their significant impact on public debate. A silver lining is that 73 per cent of creators are willing to seek training on how to verify their content.

“Digital content creators have acquired an important place in the information ecosystem, engaging millions of people with cultural, social or political news. But many are struggling in the face of disinformation and online hate speech and calling for more training,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

A reason for alarm is that traditional news media ranks low as a resource. Only 36.9 per cent of content creators use mainstream journalism for verification signaling loss of respect for its expertise which was widely recognized in the past.

Instead, 42 per cent of content creators assess information credibility using social media metrics like “likes” and “shares” and 21 per cent share content based solely on “trust in friends” who shared it.

Nearly 60 per cent of creators operate without understanding basic regulatory frameworks and international standards, leaving them vulnerable to legal risks and online harassment.

About one-third of social media users report experiencing hate speech but only 20.4 per cent know how to properly report these incidents to platforms.

In response, UNESCO has launched a global initiative in partnership with the Knight Centre for Journalism in the Americas (USA) to train digital content creators.

The four-week online program has already drawn over 9,000 participants from 160 countries. It offers comprehensive training in source verification, fact-checking methodology and collaboration with traditional media outlets. Its goal is to encourage digital communicators who prioritize information integrity.

This is important because digital platforms are potentially a powerful new front in the pursuit of peace and can play a transformative role in advancing human rights. They have already democratized access to knowledge and culture and are fostering connections among people across the world.

But they are also increasingly becoming ecosystems of misinformation, disinformation and ideological polarization, thus inciting violence, discrimination, and hate. Such negative features are undermining democracies and threatening human rights everywhere.

Many countries are studying regulatory processes since companies running digital platforms often lack transparency, accountability and due diligence.

UNESCO is concerned that those processes may not respect human rights and could lead to different kinds of censorship, weakening the civic space. In 2023, its member governments agreed Guidelines for The Governance of Digital Platforms to address many of the issues involved in combatting digital misinformation. But implementation is still in its early days.

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