UNESCO's blueprint for the ‘new internet’: Data protection or censorship?

UNESCO is known for its work in heritage and education.

It also had some important plans for the Internet in 2022 — a move which got mixed reactions.

People in Asia, Africa and Latin America were concerned about 'UNESCO's Guidelines for Regulating Digital Platforms', worrying that these guidelines might be bad for democracy. More than 50 organisations said that the guidelines could help authoritarian governments control the Internet.

These guidelines put the responsibility for online problems on national regulators. But they don't protect user data well and they give a lot of power to these regulators, which is a problem in the case of authoritarian governments. Some governments are making rules that could hurt the open Internet and UNESCO's guidelines might make it worse.

Human rights advocates and industry observers have expressed concerns about platforms consistently complying with demands from restrictive governments.

For instance, Tech Policy Press reports that, according to Google's transparency report, the company has complied with the majority of over 2,000 government requests to remove illegal content in Vietnam since 2019. Vietnam's controversial Decree 72 mandates platforms to limit speech that defames or distorts information about state entities and requires them to respond to government requests within a 24-hour period.

In July, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communication stated that Meta, Google, and TikTok have complied with 90% of content takedown notices related to dissent against the state, the party, brands, and individuals.

UNESCO's case shows a divide between Western countries and the rest of the world in making Internet rules. Wealthy nations have had a big say in these rules, but others want a more balanced approach.

The UN also wanted to make better rules for AI and online platforms. However, not many submissions came from Asia and Africa, even though most Internet users are from there. People are concerned that the UN isn't listening to everyone's inputs.

There is also a push to centralise the Internet, which could have big consequences. The key questions are about how to make rules for online content fairly and protect human rights.

Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, founding Board Director at Tech Global Institute, writes in an article for  Tech Policy Press that, "Instead of centralising the Internet through its established multilateral model, the UN should double down on multistakeholderism to ensure it is comprehensive and representative."

She adds, "So far, the UN's interventions in Internet governance are sending alarming signals that its  bureaucracy is getting co-opted with authoritarian governments — particularly in the Global Majority — weaponising Eurocentric policies to some degree to justify and amplify censorship as China and Russia continue to position their governance model as a viable alternative."