UN official warns disinformation threatens public trust, targets peacekeeping efforts

ISTANBUL

A UN official said Friday that disinformation is being employed to undermine the credibility of public institutions, thus its peacekeeping operations are attacked.

“We’re witnessing lies being spread at incredible speeds. Words become weapons. Hate speech and misinformation and disinformation are not new threats,” UN Under Secretary General for Global Communication, Melissa Fleming, said at the Stratcom Summit.

Fleming noted that “grave threats including in the Middle East” have been created by disinformation and misinformation.

“We believe deliberate disinformation is getting more sophisticated with AI. AI and deepfakes are further blurring reality and fiction,” she said in her address via video.

She noted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been taking this “challenge” seriously.

“We want transparency from digital platforms. Our recommendations are firmly rooted in freedom of opinion and expression,” she said.

The Startcom Summit will be held for two days in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul. Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Director of Communications are expected to address the summit.