In a message on the social media platform, human rights chief Volker Turk said,
“Controlling this content is not censorship.”
On the same topic, Volker Turk also wrote an article on a platform called ‘LinkedIn’. He said efforts to secure online media are often called censorship.
But, this is ignored where due to lack of rules some people’s voices are stifled on this platform. Especially those whose voices are often marginalized.
“At the same time, hate restricts free expression online and can harm it in real life.”
Mark Zuckerberg, the head of social media platform Facebook’s parent company Meta, recently announced the shutdown of its fact-checking program, which verifies the veracity of online claims.
He said these programs are at risk of being politically biased and that self-regulation could lead to too much censorship.
Mark Zuckerberg has called for the return of independent voices to ‘meta’ company platforms and says people using these platforms have lost trust. The International Fact-Checking Network called Mark Zuckerberg’s argument wrong and warned that the decision would cause harm.
The potential of digital media
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk noted that social media platforms have great potential to connect people and positively shape society.
However, they can cause conflict, incite hatred and put the safety of ordinary citizens at risk.
In view of this, he called for continued demands for human rights-compliant, accountable and improved governance in digital media, to protect public discourse, build trust and respect the dignity of all people.
On the other hand, in response to a question about the UN’s social media policy, the UN spokesperson in Geneva said that online media is monitored and scrutinized.
Michel Jakhoe, Head of TV, Radio and Webcasts said that sharing fact-based information is crucial for us and the UN is committed to providing this information on its social media platforms.