Description:

The 2020 global health crisis has further highlighted and accelerated the underlying information crisis. The “infodemic”, described as an over-abundance of information – some accurate and some not – has made it difficult for individuals across the world to find trustworthy sources of information and reliable guidance. It has also increased the risks of manipulation and weakened individuals’ ability to make informed, autonomous choices. This infodemic has occurred against the backdrop of a proliferation of regulation, legislation and non-regulatory initiatives to tackle disinformation taking place in both authoritarian and democratic countries. In recent years, European nations such as France and Germany have enacted new legislations to mitigate specific aspects of the crisis from election misinformation to hate speech. In other parts of the world such as Hungary, Singapore or Brazil, governmental efforts have also raised questions about infringing free speech guarantees. Meanwhile, digital platforms have launched a number of initiatives and joint statements in a commitment to fight misinformation online. Yet, it remains unclear which of these efforts will prove most effective and whether they sufficiently address the root causes of the current information crisis.