The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has expressed his concern about the impact of the spread of hate and violence through social media, emphasizing that this has escalated due to the reduction of fact-checking controls and content moderation on online platforms.
Guterres warned that recent decisions to remove fact-checking in the United States, especially by the company Meta, the owner of Facebook, are contributing to reopening the opportunities for the spread of misinformation, hate, and threats.
He highlighted the importance of social media in enabling the exchange of ideas and respectful debate, but also stressed that online verbal violence can lead to physical violence in real life. Guterres added that the return of these practices could lead to restrictions on freedom of speech, as individuals may feel afraid to express their opinions on these platforms.
“Online verbal violence can easily transition into physical violence in real life,” he warned.
In his speech, he also emphasized that human rights are being “suffocated” in many parts of the world, citing wars, conflicts, and climate change as factors threatening these rights.
Guterres criticized authoritarianism and warmongers, who, according to him, are violating international law and the UN Charter, suppressing opposition, and ignoring the general principles of the rule of law. While he did not mention specific states, his message was clear about the dangers threatening global peace and security.
