New York: The role of social media platforms have again come under scrutiny after the violence in Washington D.C. by outgoing American President Donald Trump’s supporters on December 6, 2021, and the subsequent social media ban of Trump by the major social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The issue has reverberated at the United Nations too. Last night during a routine press conference, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, had a hard time confronting questions in this regard, ranging from the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ views on the issue to Trump’s role, to the role of UN on governance and social media.
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Here are the excerpts from the question-answer session:
Question: The first question is about what happened in Washington, D.C., yesterday. I know you put out some language on this subject, but can you just tell us more about what the Secretary‑General’s view was when he watched those pictures?
Spokesman: Look, I mean, I think, as we’ve said in what we put out yesterday, he was saddened by what he saw. And his reaction, his message, which in a sense is one that he’s given in many other situations, is that political leaders need to impress on their followers the need to refrain from violence and to respect the democratic process and respect the rule of law. I mean, it’s a very important message that political leaders need to give to those who listen to them.
Question: Okay. Couple of follow‑ups. Political leaders, let me ask you specifically about President [Donald] Trump. It was President Trump who told his followers to march on Capitol Hill, and that’s where the problem started. What’s the Secretary‑General’s view on the President’s role in all of this?
Spokesman: The President and others are political leaders, and I think… so, the Secretary‑General’s message applies to all those who have political responsibilities.
Question: Follow‑up on that, and then I have one other question if it’s okay. The follow‑up is about the media. Once again, the media were targeted during the protests. “Murder the media” was even one of the placards being carried by the protesters. What’s the UN’s view on that?
Spokesman: Attacks on the media, whether they are targeted, whether they are spontaneous, are unacceptable, full stop.
Question: Steph, a follow‑up on the US election and the presidency. We know that the Secretary‑General had a conversation with President‑elect Joe Biden. What are his plans… the inauguration is less than two weeks away. What are his plans on following that up, since the United States is not only a major Power, but, of course, a major funder of the United Nations?
Spokesman: Well, we look forward after the inauguration on the Secretary‑General speaking with the man who will be President at the time, President Biden, and to start working with the rest of his foreign policy and national security team.
Question: It’s another follow‑up on Washington, D.C., actually. The situation in Washington, D.C., yesterday has resulted in a social media ban of the President by the major social media platforms in the US, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I’m wondering if the UN has any kind of policy guidance on governance and social media and what, if any, policy frameworks or recommendations that the UN has put out in the past might apply to this unusual situation.
Spokesman: Well, I mean, I think, in general terms, we have spoken out at the risk… and not only the risk but the fact that social media platforms have been used to propagate violence, to propagate hate speech. I mean, there have been studies, UN studies, on how they’ve been used in various conflicts and various civil wars, and that is… I think it just increases the responsibility of the people who manage those platforms to ensure that they are not misused to do physical harm to people.
Question: Has the UN ever recommended any sort of public oversight for the use of platforms, given their increasing importance in world politics and governance?
Spokesman: There are what we would call multi-stakeholder conversations going on with the private sectors, with Member States, about the digital space, but we are not advocating for a public oversight of private companies.
Question: In light of yesterday’s disaster in Washington, D.C., are there any extra security measures planned for the United Nations in New York or for the Secretary‑General, in particular, since zealots do not have any stop signs?
Spokesman: As you know, we don’t comment on specific security measures, but we are constantly in touch with the host country, with the host city, who we rely on to provide security outside of the UN walls. And they have always done a terrific job in ensuring that the building is safe, that all of us, which includes you who work in this building, are safe and that the Secretary‑General and senior UN officials are safe.
– global bihari bureau
