The UNESCO Plan for Countering Misinformation
Introduction
Misinformation is rampant all over the world and impacting people at large. In 2023, UNESCO commissioned a survey on the impact of Fake News which was conducted by IPSOS. This survey was conducted in 16 countries that are to hold national elections in 2024 with a total of 2.5 billion voters and showed how pressing the need for effective regulation had become and found that 85% of people are apprehensive about the repercussions of online disinformation or misinformation. UNESCO has introduced a plan to regulate social media platforms in light of these worries, as they have become major sources of misinformation and hate speech online. This action plan is supported by the worldwide opinion survey, highlighting the urgent need for strong actions. The action plan outlines the fundamental principles that must be respected and concrete measures to be implemented by all stakeholders associated, i.e., government, regulators, civil society and the platforms themselves.
The Key Areas in Focus of the Action Plan
The focus area of the action plan is on the protection of the Freedom of Expression while also including access to information and other human rights in digital platform governance. The action plan works on the basic premise that the impact on human rights becomes the compass for all decision-making, at every stage and by every stakeholder. Groups of independent regulators work in close coordination as part of a wider network, to prevent digital companies from taking advantage of disparities between national regulations. Moderation of content as a feasible and effective option at the required scale, in all regions and all languages.
The algorithms of these online platforms, particularly the social media platforms are established, but it is too often geared towards maximizing engagement rather than the reliability of information. Platforms are required to take on more initiative to educate and train users to be critical thinkers and not just hopers. Regulators and platforms are in a position to take strong measures during particularly sensitive conditions ranging from elections to crises, particularly the information overload that is taking place.
Key Principles of the Action Plan
- Human Rights Due Diligence: Platforms are required to assess their impact on human rights, including gender and cultural dimensions, and to implement risk mitigation measures. This would ensure that the platforms are responsible for educating users about their rights.
- Adherence to International Human Rights Standards: Platforms must align their design, content moderation, and curation with international human rights standards. This includes ensuring non-discrimination, supporting cultural diversity, and protecting human moderators.
- Transparency and Openness: Platforms are expected to operate transparently, with clear, understandable, and auditable policies. This includes being open about the tools and algorithms used for content moderation and the results they produce.
- User Access to Information: Platforms should provide accessible information that enables users to make informed decisions.
- Accountability: Platforms must be accountable to their stakeholders which would include the users and the public, which would ensure that redressal for content-related decisions is not compromised. This accountability extends to the implementation of their terms of service and content policies.
Enabling Environment for the application of the UNESCO Plan
The UNESCO Action Plan to counter misinformation has been created to create an environment where freedom of expression and access to information flourish, all while ensuring safety and security for digital platform users and non-users. This endeavour calls for collective action—societies as a whole must work together. Relevant stakeholders, from vulnerable groups to journalists and artists, enable the right to expression.
Conclusion
The UNESCO Action Plan is a response to the dilemma that has been created due to the information overload, particularly, because the distinction between information and misinformation has been so clouded. The IPSOS survey has revealed the need for an urgency to address these challenges in the users who fear the repercussions of misinformation.
The UNESCO action plan provides a comprehensive framework that emphasises the protection of human rights, particularly freedom of expression, while also emphasizing the importance of transparency, accountability, and education in the governance of digital platforms as a priority. By advocating for independent regulators and encouraging platforms to align with international human rights standards, UNESCO is setting the stage for a more responsible and ethical digital ecosystem.
The recommendations include integrating regulators through collaborations and promoting global cooperation to harmonize regulations, expanding the Digital Literacy campaign to educate users about misinformation risks and online rights, ensuring inclusive access to diverse content in multiple languages and contexts, and monitoring and refining tech advancements and regulatory strategies as challenges evolve. To ultimately promote a true online information landscape.
Reference
- https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/online-disinformation-unesco-unveils-action-plan-regulate-social-media-platforms
- https://www.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2023/11/unesco_ipsos_survey.pdf
- https://dig.watch/updates/unesco-sets-out-strategy-to-tackle-misinformation-after-ipsos-survey
Related Blogs
Executive Summary:
A fake photo claiming to show the cricketer Virat Kohli watching a press conference by Rahul Gandhi before a match, has been widely shared on social media. The original photo shows Kohli on his phone with no trace of Gandhi. The incident is claimed to have happened on March 21, 2024, before Kohli's team, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), played Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Many Social Media accounts spread the false image and made it viral.
Claims:
The viral photo falsely claims Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was watching a press conference by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his phone before an IPL match. Many Social media handlers shared it to suggest Kohli's interest in politics. The photo was shared on various platforms including some online news websites.
Fact Check:
After we came across the viral image posted by social media users, we ran a reverse image search of the viral image. Then we landed on the original image posted by an Instagram account named virat__.forever_ on 21 March.
The caption of the Instagram post reads, “VIRAT KOHLI CHILLING BEFORE THE SHOOT FOR JIO ADVERTISEMENT COMMENCE.❤️”
Evidently, there is no image of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi on the Phone of Virat Kohli. Moreover, the viral image was published after the original image, which was posted on March 21.
Therefore, it’s apparent that the viral image has been altered, borrowing the original image which was shared on March 21.
Conclusion:
To sum up, the Viral Image is altered from the original image, the original image caption tells Cricketer Virat Kohli chilling Before the Jio Advertisement commences but not watching any politician Interview. This shows that in the age of social media, where false information can spread quickly, critical thinking and fact-checking are more important than ever. It is crucial to check if something is real before sharing it, to avoid spreading false stories.
Introduction
India plans to draft the first AI regulations framework. The draft will be discussed and debated in June-July this year as stated by Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar. He aims to harness AI for economic growth, healthcare, and agriculture, ensuring its significant impact. The Indian government plans to fully utilise AI for economic growth, focusing on healthcare, drug discovery, agriculture, and farmer productivity.
Government Approach to Regulating AI
Chandrasekhar stated that the government's approach to AI regulation involves establishing principles and a comprehensive list of harms and criminalities. They prefer clear platform standards to address bias and misuse during model training rather than regulating AI at specific stages of its development. Union Minister Chandrasekhar also highlights the importance of legal compliance and the risks faced by entrepreneurs who disregard regulations in the digital economy. He warned of "severe consequences" for non-compliance.
Addressing the opening session of the two-day Nasscom leadership summit in Mumbai, the Union minister added that the intention is to harness AI for economic growth and address potential risks and harms. Mr. Chandrasekhar stated that the government is committed to developing AI-skilled individuals. He also highlighted the importance of a global governance framework that deals with the safety and trust of AI.
Union Minister Chandrasekhar also said that 900 million Indians online and 1.3 billion people will be connected to the global internet soon, providing India with both an opportunity and a responsibility to collaborate on regulations to establish legal safeguards that protect consumers and citizens. He further added that the framework is being retrofitted to address the complexity and impact of AI in safety infrastructure. The goal is to ensure legal guardrails for Al, a kinetic enabler of the digital economy, safety and trust, and accountability for those using the AI platform.
Prioritizing Safety and Trust in AI Development
Union minister Chandrasekhar announced that the framework will be discussed at the upcoming Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) event, a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29 member countries aiming to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting research on AI-related priorities. Chandrasekhar emphasises the importance of safety and trust in generative AI development. He believes that every platform must be legally accountable for any harm it causes or enables and should not enable criminality. He advocated for safe and trustworthy AI.
Conclusion
India is drafting its first AI regulation framework, as highlighted by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. This framework aims to harness the potential of AI while ensuring safety, trust, and accountability. The framework will focus on principles, comprehensive standards, and legal compliance to navigate the complexities of AI's impact on sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and the digital economy. India recognises the need for robust legal safeguards to protect citizens and foster innovation and economic growth while fostering a culture of trustworthy AI development.
References:
- https://www.livemint.com/ai/artificial-intelligence/india-to-come-up-with-ai-regulations-framework-by-june-july-this-year-rajeev-chandrasekhar-msde-11708409300377.html
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/india-to-develop-draft-ai-framework-by-june-july-chandrasekhar/articleshow/107865548.cms
- https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=Government-to-come-out-with-draft-regulatory-framework-for-Artificial-Intelligence-by-July-2024&id=477637
Executive Summary
A misleading advertisement circulating in social media providing attractive offers like iPhone15, AirPods and Smartwatches from the Indian e-commerce platform ‘Myntra’. This “Myntra - Festival Gifts” scam aims to attract the unsuspecting users into a series of redirects and fake interactions to compromise their personal information and devices. It is important to stay vigilant to protect ourselves from misleading attractive offers. Through this report, the Research Wing of CyberPeace explains about a series of processes that happens when the link gets clicked. Through this knowledge, we aim to provide awareness and empower the users to guard themselves and not fall into deceptive offers that aim to scam them.
False Claim
The widely shared WhatsApp message claims that Myntra is offering a wide range of high-valued prizes including the latest iPhone 15, AirPods, various smartwatches among all as a Festival Gift promotion. The campaign invites the users to click on the link provided and take a short quiz to be eligible for the prize.
The Deceptive Scheme
- The link in the social media post is tailored to work only on mobile devices, users are taken through a chain of redirects.
- Users are greeted with the Myntra's "Big Fashion Festival" branding accompanied by Myntra’s logo once they reach the landing page, which gives an impression of authenticity.
- Next, a simple quiz asks basic questions about the user's shopping experience with Myntra, their age, and gender.
- On the bottom of the quiz, there is a comment section that shows the comments from users who are supposedly provided with the prizes to look real,
- After the completion of the quiz, users are presented with a Spin-to-Win mechanism, to win the prize.
- After winning, a congratulatory message is displayed which says that the user has won an iPhone 15.
- The final step requires the user to share the campaign over WhatsApp in order to claim the prize.
Analyzing the Fraudulent Campaign
- The use of Myntra's branding and the promise of exclusive, high-value prizes are designed to attract users' interest.
- The fake comments and social proof elements aim to create a false sense of legitimacy and widespread participation, making the offer seem more credible.
- The series of redirects, quizzes, and Spin-to-Win mechanics are tactics to keep users engaged and increase the likelihood of them falling for the scam.
- The final step of sharing the post on WhatsApp is a way for the scammers to further spread the campaign and compromise more victims. Through sharing the link over WhatsApp, users become unaware accomplices that are simply assisting the scammers to reach an even bigger audience and hence their popularity.
- The primary objectives of such scams are to gather users' personal information and potentially gain access to their devices. By luring users with the promise of exclusive gifts and creating a false sense of legitimacy, the scammers aim to exploit user trust and compromise their data, leading to potential identity theft, financial fraud, or the installation of potentially unwanted softwares.
- We have also cross-checked and as of now there is no well established and credible source or any official notification that has confirmed such an offer advertised by Myntra.
- Domain Analysis: If we closely look at the viral message, it is clearly visible that the scammers mentioned myntra.com in the url. However, the actual url takes the user to a different domain as the campaign is hosted on a third party domain instead of the official Website of Myntra, this raised suspicion. This is the common way to deceive users into falling for a Phishing scam. Whois information reveals that the domain has been registered not long ago i.e on 8th April 2024, just a few days back. Cybercriminals used Cloudflare technology to mask the actual IP address of the fraudulent website.
- Domain Name: MYTNRA.CYOU
- Registry Domain ID: D445770144-CNIC
- Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.hkdns.hk
- Registrar URL: http://www.hkdns.hk
- Updated Date: 2024-04-08T03:27:58.0Z
- Creation Date: 2024-04-08T02:58:14.0Z
- Registry Expiry Date: 2025-04-08T23:59:59.0Z
- Registrar: West263 International Limited
- Registrant State/Province: Delhi
- Registrant Country: IN
- Name Server: NORMAN.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
- Name Server: PAM.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
CyberPeace Advisory and Best Practices
- Do not open those messages received from social platforms in which you think that such messages are suspicious or unsolicited. In the beginning, your own discretion can become your best weapon.
- Falling prey to such scams could compromise your entire system, potentially granting unauthorized access to your microphone, camera, text messages, contacts, pictures, videos, banking applications, and more. Keep your cyber world safe against any attacks.
- Never, in any case, reveal such sensitive data as your login credentials and banking details to entities you haven't validated as reliable ones.
- Before sharing any content or clicking on links within messages, always verify the legitimacy of the source. Protect not only yourself but also those in your digital circle.
- For the sake of the truthfulness of offers and messages, find the official sources and companies directly. Verify the authenticity of alluring offers before taking any action.
Conclusion:
The “Myntra - Festival Gift” scam is a kind of manipulation in which the fraudsters exploit the trust of the users and take advantage of a popular e-commerce website. It is equally crucial to equip the users by imparting them knowledge on fraudulent behavior tactics like impersonating brands, creating fake social proof and application of different engagement strategies. We are required to remain alert and stand firm against cyber attacks. Be careful, make sure that information is verified and share awareness to help make a safe online environment for all users.
