ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission Report

On Friday, the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development released their global report, “Balancing Act: Countering digital disinformation while respecting freedom of expression.” This research was led by Prof. Kalina Bontcheva (University of Sheffield)  and Dr.  Julie Posetti (International Center for Journalists) along with international researchers and contributing authors, including former EU DisinfoLab Advocacy Officer Clara Hanot.

The work charts the wide range of responses to disinformation across the world, focusing on the effects of these measures on freedom of opinion and expression. Research took place between September 2019 and July 2020. The findings have been organized systematically into categories of responses to disinformation:

1. identification responses aimed at identifying, debunking, and exposing disinformation (monitoring, fact checking, investigations)
2. responses aimed at producers and distributors of disinformation through altering the information environment (legislative and policy responses, counter disinformation campaigns, electoral responses)
3. responses aimed at production and distribution (related to curation, algorithms, and demonetization)
4. and responses aimed at the targeted audiences of disinformation campaigns (ethical, educational, and empowering responses).

The study finds that these responses are often complementary and collaborative. But there are also cases of interference (ie: journalists getting caught in the net of ‘fake news’ laws).  The report advocates for a multi-faceted approach that addresses the socio-economic drivers of disinformation, rebuilds trust in democratic institutions and strengthens social cohesion amidst polarization while addressing the business models that thrive on paid disinformation. The report introduces a novel 23-step framework for assessing disinformation responses against freedom of expression. It also offers precise suggestions for different stakeholders that strengthen freedom of expression, given the report’s major finding that access to reliable and trustworthy information (for instance through independent journalism) is essential to countering disinformation. Finally, the study provides a framework for addressing the complete disinformation life cycle — Instigators, Agents, Messages, Intermediaries, and Targets/Interpreters  — shortened to the acronym ‘IAMIT’.

Source: https://www.broadbandcommission.org/Documents/working-groups/FoE_Disinfo_Report.pdf