the iVerify tool: support package to strengthen information integrity

The swift development of internet, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI) has had an unprecedented impact on the communication ecosystem and speed and scale of citizen practices related to access and use of information. While it contributed to inclusion, transparency and participation in the governance realm, these developments also carried risks and challenges to the integrity of the information landscape with ramifications for democratic processes.

Elections are “lightning rod” events and represent opportunities for actors to exert influence over public opinion; thereby potentially shifting political outcomes. Information pollution and hate speech are being weaponised for political gain on a scale never experienced before. They form a threat to healthy democratic processes and therefore to democracy itself; degrading public discourse, sowing confusion and mistrust among voters, silencing political opposition, undermining women’s political participation and amplifying political polarisation. The stakes are incredibly high.

And yet, particularly in new and emerging digital societies, Election Management Bodies, journalists, elections observers and others often find themselves on the backfoot when confronted with elections-related disinformation and hate speech, struggling to stem the flow, correct the record and protect voters’ access to trustworthy information. UNDP has seen significantly increased demand expressed by national counterparts in all regions to better manage elections disinformation and hate speech.

In order to respond to this demand, the Brussels-based Electoral Assistance Task Force in partnership with the UNDP Chief Digital Office, working closely with the Crisis Bureau and the Oslo Governance Center, has built a package of support to customize, roll out and manage a digital platform to identify, analyse, and counter disinformation in challenging governance environments, called iVerify. Mutualizing resources and expertise, the iVerify initiative leverages UNDP expertise (in the field) to allow for easy and cost-effective replication and customization at country level.