The fledgling UN tried to rein in mass-scale misinformation. The world turned its back and is now paying the price | Roland Burke
This article argues that current democratic anxieties regarding online misinformation are not unprecedented, but rather a recurrence of historical challenges faced during the rise of fascism. It highlights that international bodies like the League of Nations and the early United Nations recognized the danger of unchecked propaganda and attempted to establish global norms for media responsibility. These early efforts sought to balance freedom of expression with accountability, acknowledging that unregulated transnational media could threaten sovereignty and human rights. The narrative explains why these early initiatives ultimately failed, largely due to sustained opposition from the United States and its allies. Rather than adopting frameworks that might limit corporate or state power, Western democracies preferred an approach of non-intervention, prioritizing absolute notions of free speech over collective security. This historical capitulation allowed monopolistic media structures and unfettered disinformation to flourish, creating the volatile environment seen today where digital platforms facilitate the spread of hate and authoritarian ideologies. The piece is highly relevant to open data because it underscores the necessity of transparent, regulated information ecosystems for democratic health. It suggests that treating data and media as unregulated commodities ignores their profound societal impact. Understanding this historical context reveals that open data initiatives cannot exist in a vacuum; they require robust international standards and accountability mechanisms to prevent the weaponization of information, ensuring that transparency serves public interest rather than enabling manipulation and misinformation.
Source: theguardian.comPublished on 2025-10-11
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