At the UNESCO conference Internet for Trust, which discussed the draft global guidelines for regulating digital platforms and safeguarding freedom of expression and information access, 4,300 participants took part in person and online. Governments, independent regulators, digital companies, academia, the technical community, and civil society participated in the conference, according to UNESCO.
It was discussed how platforms could become more transparent and have content governance policies and practices that adhere to human rights standards; how human moderation should be balanced with AI; and how civil society, youth, influencers, and other actors can be more engaged in shaping an internet of trust. Diverse stakeholders attended the global dialogue to discuss the guidelines, including the European Commissioner for Values and Transparency, Vera Jourova.
Participants agreed, however, that following a multi-stakeholder process, there are still many issues to discuss, especially with global south actors. Within the next few months, the reflection points arising from the panel discussions and audience comments will be analyzed. The UNESCO website will continue to accept comments until March 8; contributions can be made online. By the end of March, an updated draft should be available.