UNESCO's Blueprint for the Internet Could End Up Breaking It : Sabhanaz Rashid Diya / Tech Policy Press
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Quick Summary:
*In 2022, UNESCO proposed guidelines to regulate digital platforms, but civil society groups are concerned this could enable authoritarian regimes to censor the internet.
*The guidelines require platforms to share information with national regulators without procedural safeguards, while enforcement powers lie with the regulator. This risks emboldening authoritarian regimes.
*There are growing examples of platforms complying with government takedown notices that infringe on human rights, such as in Vietnam. The UNESCO guidelines could further legitimize this.
*The UN is looking to play a larger role in internet governance through initiatives like the Global Digital Compact. But the process so far has lacked diverse input, while details remain unclear.
*Rather than centralizing the internet under the UN, the author argues it should recommit to a multi-stakeholder model that ensures inclusion of civil society, technical experts, and the Global Majority.
*The UN should focus on facilitating an inclusive process to define norms and principles grounded in human rights, instead of top-down regulations. This could help address issues like content moderation and AI ethics.
*Overall, the author warns the UN risks fragmenting the internet if it does not shift away from multilateralism towards meaningful multistakeholderism inclusive of diverse voices.
Sabhanaz Rashid Diya is the founding Board Director at Tech Global Institute, where she works on reducing equity gaps in platform and AI policies for the Global Majority. Previously, she spent over a decade working globally with governments and tech companies.
*The guidelines require platforms to share information with national regulators without procedural safeguards, while enforcement powers lie with the regulator. This risks emboldening authoritarian regimes.
*There are growing examples of platforms complying with government takedown notices that infringe on human rights, such as in Vietnam. The UNESCO guidelines could further legitimize this.
*The UN is looking to play a larger role in internet governance through initiatives like the Global Digital Compact. But the process so far has lacked diverse input, while details remain unclear.
*Rather than centralizing the internet under the UN, the author argues it should recommit to a multi-stakeholder model that ensures inclusion of civil society, technical experts, and the Global Majority.
*The UN should focus on facilitating an inclusive process to define norms and principles grounded in human rights, instead of top-down regulations. This could help address issues like content moderation and AI ethics.
*Overall, the author warns the UN risks fragmenting the internet if it does not shift away from multilateralism towards meaningful multistakeholderism inclusive of diverse voices.
Sabhanaz Rashid Diya is the founding Board Director at Tech Global Institute, where she works on reducing equity gaps in platform and AI policies for the Global Majority. Previously, she spent over a decade working globally with governments and tech companies.
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