Given the rapid spread of online disinformation, many believe that truth is now fragmented beyond repair. But governments can shift the balance by ensuring that news outlets, digital platforms, and political leaders provide the best available knowledge, and by formally recognizing the right not to be lied to by the powerful.
LONDON – Hardly a week goes by without a new piece of misinformation circulating online, from the freshet of conspiracy theories unleashed by the attempt on former US President Donald Trump’s life to Elon Musk tweeting the far right’s false claim that the United Kingdom has a two-tier policing policy. Truth is under attack, and people know it. According to a recent global survey conducted by the United Nations, more than 85% of respondents were worried about the impact of online disinformation.
LONDON – Hardly a week goes by without a new piece of misinformation circulating online, from the freshet of conspiracy theories unleashed by the attempt on former US President Donald Trump’s life to Elon Musk tweeting the far right’s false claim that the United Kingdom has a two-tier policing policy. Truth is under attack, and people know it. According to a recent global survey conducted by the United Nations, more than 85% of respondents were worried about the impact of online disinformation.