Document details

Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms: Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Access to Information Through a Multi-Stakeholder Approach

Paris: UNESCO (2023), 58 pp.

Contains illustrations, bibliogr.

ISBN 978-92-3-100620-3

CC BY-SA

Other editions: also published in French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish

"The Guidelines outline a set of duties, responsibilities and roles for States, digital platforms, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, media, academia, the technical community and other stakeholders to enable the environment where freedom of expression and information are in the core of digital platforms governance processes. The Guidelines were produced through a multi-stakeholder consultation that gathered more than 10,000 comments from 134 countries. These global-scale consultations fostered inclusive participation, ensuring a diversity of voices to be heard, including those from groups in situation of marginalization and vulnerability. Cultivating an Internet of Trust is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders. It calls upon us all to sustain an enabling environment for freedom of expression and the right to information." (Short summary)
Enabling environment, 16
The governance system, 24
Principle 1. Platforms conduct human rights due diligence, 35
Principle 2. Platforms adhere to international human rights standards, including in platform design, content moderation, and content curation, 37
Principle 3. Platforms are transparent, 42
Principle 4. Platforms make information and tools available for users, 46
Principle 5. Platforms are accountable to relevant stakeholders, 48
Context-specific provisions, 50
Conclusion, 54