This is a collaborative session organized by several national, regional and youth IGF initiatives from different regions. 2024 is the election year. A record number of voters is expected to participate in elections across at least 64 countries which hold around 49% of the world’s population. The practice has demonstrated that false narratives can manipulate public opinion, skewing electoral outcomes and undermining trust in institutions. Inaccurate information spreads rapidly through social media, exacerbating polarization and fracturing societies. Effective countermeasures are crucial to ensure informed decision-making by voters. Failure to combat dis- and misinformation risks eroding democratic principles, fostering division, and empowering malign actors. Upholding the integrity of elections necessitates concerted efforts and collective actions to combat falsehoods, promote transparency and restore trust, preserving the foundation of democratic governance for generations to come.
Through multistakeholder exchanges of national and regional IGF initiatives, this session will address the following policy questions.
Which role traditional media and social media play in the elections in the digital era? How do existing regulations against disinformation apply to these two subjects and what are the so far made achievements? In some regions of the world some regulatory efforts have been made to prevent or tackle disinformation during elections. Which results have obtained (or not) in this elections’ year (e.g. EU, India, US)? How can education initiatives enable the electorate to identify and report misleading content during election cycles? In what ways can media literacy programs be innovatively designed to engage diverse communities? What collaborative strategies can be established among all stakeholders to ensure comprehensive coverage and accessibility of media and digital literacy programs across society? What role could digital platforms and technology companies play in mitigating the impact of false information on electoral integrity, and how can regulatory measures be implemented to hold them accountable for their actions? What are good practices of regulatory frameworks that strike a balance between curbing the dissemination of false information during elections and upholding principles of free expression? How can these measures be enforced effectively without impinging on individuals' rights? How can the multistakeholder model and public-private partnerships be leveraged to enhance the effectiveness and scalability of initiatives aimed at combating disinformation in the context of elections? How to empower people’s voice through authenticity, transparency and accountability to ensure elections integrity
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