The Information Ecosystem in the Digital Age
- UNAA
- Jun 6
- 2 min read
6th June 2025
The spread of hatred and lies online is causing grave harm to our world. The UN Global Principles for Information Integrity aim to make the digital space safer & more inclusive, while defending freedom of expression.
"Everyone should be able to express themselves freely without fear of attack. Everyone should be able to access a range of views and information sources.”
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, United Nations Secretary-General
Technological advances have revolutionized communications, connecting people on a previously unthinkable scale. They have supported communities in times of crisis, elevated marginalized voices and helped mobilize global movements for racial justice and gender equality.
Yet these same advances have enabled the spread of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech at an unprecedented volume, velocity and virality, risking the integrity of the information ecosystem.
New and escalating risks stemming from leaps in AI technologies have made strengthening information integrity one of the urgent tasks of our time.
This clear and present global threat demands coordinated international action.
The United Nations Global Principles for Information Integrity show us another future is possible.
United Nations Global Principles For Information Integrity
The United Nations Global Principles For Information Integrity presents a vision of a future in which power imbalances are redressed so that a small group of actors - including technology companies based in a handful of countries - no longer monopolize control over global information flows.
The principles envision an information ecosystem that delivers choice, freedom, privacy and safety for all, in which people everywhere can express themselves freely and make informed and independent decisions.
They put forward proposals to empower people all over the world by handing them greater control over the media they choose to consume, their own online experiences, and how their personal data is used.
The principles offer support to all those working to share facts in the public interest, as well as the vulnerable or marginalized voices that so often bear the brunt of targeted disinformation and hate campaigns.
Calls to action range from the legal obligations of States to the responsibilities of the tech sector to best practices for media and civil society.
Five principles
Societal Trust and Resilience
Societal trust and resilience are key components of information integrity. Trust refers to the confidence people have in the reliability and accuracy of the information they access, and resilience to the ability of societies to handle disruption or manipulation of the information ecosystem.
Healthy Incentives
Advertisers and tech companies can adopt business models that simultaneously uphold human rights and strengthen information integrity and make good business sense.
Public Empowerment
Shifts in tech company policies and increased media literacy can empower users with greater control over their online experience and the use of their own data.
Independent, Free and Pluralistic Media
Information integrity is only achievable with an independent, free and pluralistic media. Robust and urgent responses are needed to support public interest journalism around the world.
Transparency and Research
Greater transparency and data access is vital to improve understanding of information environments worldwide and provide evidence-based solutions to promote information integrity.
Like to get involved? Become a Member of UNAA
Like to Find Out more about UNAA
or make a valuable donation to UNAA's work
ความคิดเห็น