United Nations. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday demanded that large consumer technology companies take responsibility and “recognize the harm their products are inflicting on people and communities.”
Guterres took aim at the companies, which he did not name, and their social media platforms: “You have the power to mitigate harm to people and societies around the world. You have the power to change the business models that benefit of misinformation and hate.
He warned that “opaque algorithms push people into information bubbles and reinforce prejudices such as racism, misogyny and discrimination of all kinds”, with common targets being women, refugees, migrants and minorities.
Guterres spoke at a news conference to present a set of UN global principles for information integrity, which he called a starting point for combating disinformation, misinformation and hate speech.
“Some stakeholders have a huge responsibility,” he added. “For them, I have a clear message: We demand action.”
He said advertisers and the PR industry must stop monetizing harmful content, citing the climate crisis.
“Creatives: don’t use your talents to ‘greenwash’. PR agencies: look for clients that won’t mislead people or destroy our planet,” Guterres said.
Guterres urged media outlets to raise and enforce editorial standards and “find advertisers who are part of the solution, not the problem,” while saying governments must commit to a free, viable, independent and plural.
Guterres also called on governments to “ensure that regulations respect human rights. Refrain from taking drastic measures, such as completely shutting down the Internet. Respect the right to freedom of opinion and expression.”
