Have the courage to use your own reasoning, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
Disinformation, deliberately false and misleading information, causes public harm. We have seen how in recent years malicious intentions to misguide voters in electoral campaigns risk undermining democratic processes. Hate speech is fuelling discrimination and intolerance across the internet and society.
Disinformation, malinformation and misinformation are eroding trust in internet users and creating fast-emerging risks.
We need to level the playing field and protect our European human values.
Europe is driving discussions on these and similar issues in a debate that is open and evidence-based to ensure diversity of information, freedom of speech and privacy as a fundamental human right. EuroDIG 2018 is offering an important forum for debate.
Many studies are taking place across Europe and the Council of Europe is setting down recommendations but actions are need to help citizens make more informed decisions about how they how use the internet. Citizens also need to be able to read information critically with digital literacy initiatives in place across all member states.
Technology innovations like blockchain, artificial intelligence and cognitive algorithms are important in implementing a pre-emptive approach by enabling faster identification of content verification.
But we also need a coordinated international response to these challenges, bringing together civil society, the private sector and the technical community to work towards a framework of voluntary practices, more research to understand the problems and the risks, citizen guidance to help differentiate between fact and fiction.
Key take-aways from #EuroDIG18 sessions on privacy.
Follow these discussions at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance online
