Towards an Internet of Trust—UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms

Bad regulation and the different approaches taken by regulatory regimes across the world regarding the rules of the digital ecosystem have created problems for businesses that operate in the digital economy and want to work in many countries. Based on its decades-long work on freedom of expression, UNESCO developed global guidelines for the governance of digital platforms. They are intended to serve as a guidance with specific provisions for different actors, including governments, regulators, digital platform companies, civil society, and the media sector. The guidelines were developed between 2022 and 2023 through an inclusive multistakeholder approach. They emphasize the role of the different parties to create an enabling digital environment. They also offer provisions to be applied in high-risk situations such as during elections, conflicts and other crises. When fully implemented, the guidelines will empower relevant stakeholders to have a digital governance system that fosters freedom of expression while tackling negative externalities such as mis-/dis-information, hate speech and other harmful online content.