NEW YORK - The rules of freedom of expression online are being reset by powerful political and corporate interests with alarming consequences for the safety and rights of billions of people who are dependent on social media for their communications and information needs, a UN expert* said today.
In her report to the General Assembly, Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, warned of a game changing shift in States' commitment to international law, the privatisation of freedom of expression on digital platforms and a fractured international approach to corporate accountability for human rights.
"Against a rising tide of hate and lies on social media, companies have rolled back their policies and tools to combat disinformation and hate speech. When large digital platforms reject international human rights norms, they undermine their own legitimacy and effectiveness as global companies," Khan said.
"The tendency among States to silence critical voices is not new but it has gained a new impetus in the current political climate of rising authoritarianism, backsliding democracies and pushback on human rights," she said.
The Special Rapporteur urged States to ensure that social media regulation is in line with international human rights standards and called on companies to carry out human rights due diligence.
"The frontal attack by the United States Administration on international law, human rights and multilateral institutions is deeply worrying as it has emboldened not only authoritarian states but also Big Tech," the expert said.
"Weaponising freedom of expression to promote a divisive political agenda of hate and lies is highly dangerous and both States and companies must refrain from it," she said.
Khan expressed grave concern about the excessive market power of big social media platforms and called for urgent action by States to reduce it, diversify the information landscape, and encourage investment in community networks and decentralised platform governance.
"The drive to innovate AI at full speed with no guardrails is a high-risk strategy. States, companies and civil society have a shared responsibility to ensure that AI systems strengthen, and not undermine, freedom of opinion and expression," she said.
"International human rights norms provide a framework for finding common ground, consensus and clarity," the expert said. "In our age of fractured relationships that is another good reason for Governments and companies to recommit to human rights."
