Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression publishes the report: "Disinformation, pandemic and human rights"

September 28, 2023

Washington D.C. – The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) presents the report "Disinformation, pandemic and human rights", which proposes an analysis of disinformation today and its effects on freedom of expression in the Americas.

The report "Disinformation, pandemic and human rights" analyzes the phenomenon of disinformation, considering the hemispheric experience shared during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges for the collective understanding of highly complex issues, the practices of moderation of content on the internet, the impacts on human rights from the measures adopted by the States and the lessons learned.

Based on this study, the Office of the Rapporteur makes recommendations to States to respect and guarantee human rights, including the right to freedom of expression; repair the effects on rights and mitigate the risks of violations in scenarios of future health emergencies.

The RELE also concludes on the importance of States, companies, and society in general valuing access to public information in contexts of health emergency and joining efforts to promote measures to face the challenges for public debate in the digital environment in these periods of emergency.

 

To access the report "Disinformation, pandemic and human rights" click here.

 

The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression is an office created by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to stimulate the hemispheric defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression, considering its fundamental role in the consolidation and development of the democratic system. The IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights.

No. R230/23

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