GFMD, Forum on Information & Democracy and partners provide input on the OECD Draft Recommendation on Information Integrity

The OECD launched a public consultation on its draft Recommendation of the Council on Information Integrity, an international instrument to be adopted by its 38 member states. While the 24 undersigned organizations welcome this step, we call upon OECD Member States to adopt the highest democratic standards to safeguard information integrity and hold platforms to account.

Read our detailed comments on the draft Recommendation.

In an age, where access to pluralistic and reliable information is more and more threatened by online platforms and their business models as well as infringements to the right to freedom of expression and threats against public interest media, the OECD Recommendation is an important instrument to call upon States to fulfil their primary obligation to safeguard freedom of expression.

The draft Recommendation sets out ”a comprehensive framework to support Adherents in strengthening information integrity and addressing threats posed by information manipulation”. It does so by calling upon Adherents to strengthen societal resilience, enhance the transparency, accountability, and plurality of information sources and to upgrade institutional architecture and open government practices.

To set the highest democratic standard the undersigned organisations call upon OECD States to ensure that the Recommendation:

• underlines that any framework for information integrity must be compliant with international human rights laws and obligations
• that access to platform data is available to public interest actors, free of charge and according to fair and transparent criteria
• enshrines a principle of neutrality for platforms
• enshrines human rights-respecting business models and advertising models
• encourages a plurality of information sources by unbundling content hosting and content curation, algorithmic pluralism, fair compensation and due prominence of public interest media
• ensures multistakeholder governance and meaningful participation of civil society actors, journalists, and other concerned communities in the governance of information integrity

The final text will be negotiated by OECD member States and then adopted by the OECD Council.