UN Chief Seeks “Global Digital Compact” to Police the Spread of Disinformation
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
GENEVA (Worthy News) – The secretary-general of the United Nations has unveiled a “Global Digital Compact” to police “hate and lies” about issues such as climate change.
Antonio Guterres said that the “advent of generative [Artificial Intelligence] AI must not distract us from the damage digital technology is already doing to our world.”
He stressed the “proliferation of hate and lies in the digital space is causing grave global harm – now,” including “undermining public health and climate action – now.”
Social media platforms “have helped the United Nations to engage people worldwide in our pursuit of peace, dignity, and human rights on a healthy planet,” Guterres told reporters.
“But today, this same technology is often a source of fear, not hope. Digital platforms are being misused to subvert science and spread disinformation and hate to billions of people.”
ORWELLIAN POLICE
Critics said Guterres effectively suggested a global Orwellian ‘thought police’ run by governments to monitor expressions outside the U.N. narrative on, for instance, global warming or “gender equality.”
Guterres added it was all part of the proposed “Global Digital Compact [and] New Agenda for Peace.”
His Global Digital Compact focused on eliminating the “divide across regions, gender, income, language, and age groups” for Internet access. “Some 89 percent of people in Europe are online, but only 21 percent of women in low-income countries use the Internet.”
Guterres also sought an “Accord on the global governance of AI,” which experts say will soon develop its own religion. “Disinformation and hate should not generate maximum exposure and massive profits,” he added.
A “U.N. Code of Conduct for Information Integrity on Digital Platforms” will have to be observed to realize these plans, Guterres said.
It wasn’t immediately clear how Communist-run China and North Korea could cooperate with the West on making online usage safer.
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