UNESCO and Croatia Launch Global Network of Media Regulators to Address Digital Platform Challenges

The three-day forum in Dubrovnik, organized by UNESCO and the Croatian Agency for Electronic Media, brought together participants from 124 countries.

For the first time, media regulators from around the world convened this week in Dubrovnik, Croatia, at the invitation of UNESCO and Croatia. This unprecedented gathering led to the establishment of a global network of regulators, to be hosted by UNESCO, aimed at coordinating the international response to the challenges posed by digital platforms.

This network's creation directly responds to UNESCO's first-ever global Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, released in November 2023. These guidelines serve as a roadmap for governments, regulatory bodies, digital companies, and citizens to define and implement balanced and effective measures. In 2023, major regional and global regulators called for consistent approaches to regulation worldwide, aligning with UNESCO's goals to safeguard freedom of expression and access to information in digital platform governance.

The three-day forum in Dubrovnik, organized by UNESCO and the Croatian Agency for Electronic Media, brought together participants from 124 countries. Among them were representatives from 87 national and regional networks of regulators, as well as digital platforms, governments, think tanks, self-regulators, electoral bodies, and civil society.

Participants committed to implementing the UNESCO Guidelines by co-funding a Global Forum of Regulators, hosted by UNESCO. This forum will meet regularly, involving civil society, to coordinate efforts for better digital platform governance. The Dubrovnik meeting, featuring panel discussions and events on countering disinformation and hate speech, protecting human rights, promoting media literacy, and addressing technical regulation challenges, was a crucial first step in allowing regulators to share experiences and plan the guidelines' implementation.

Tackling Online Disinformation and Hate Speech

Despite the benefits of social media, multiple UNESCO studies have highlighted serious risks posed by online disinformation, hate speech, new forms of harassment, violence, and declining mental health among young people.

Social media has become the primary source of information for most people, surpassing traditional media like print, radio, and TV. In November 2023, UNESCO unveiled an IPSOS survey of 8,000 people in 16 countries with upcoming elections in 2024. The survey found that 87% of respondents were concerned that disinformation would significantly impact their country's elections, and 67% had encountered hate speech on social media. Additionally, 89% agreed that governments and regulators should require social media platforms to implement trust and safety measures during election campaigns to protect election integrity.

The UNESCO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms aim to mitigate these risks. These guidelines were developed through an extensive worldwide consultation that received over 10,000 comments from stakeholders.

This initiative marks a significant step towards global cooperation in ensuring digital platforms are governed in a way that promotes safety, transparency, and integrity, aligning with international standards and protecting users worldwide.