Featured resources

Below you can find a curated selection of key resources from the entire resource centre. We update this page regularly to feature resources we believe are most relevant to the community.

“Shadow banning”: The Subtle and Covert Censorship of the Major Tech Platforms (OBSERVACOM)

A study on practices of reducing the reach of content and accounts on social media, and their impact on freedom of expression online published by Observatorio Latinoamericano de Regulación, Medios y Convergencia (OBSERVACOM). This report confirms that shadow banning—the covert restriction of online content visibility—is a growing and harmful practice across major digital platforms. Drawing on case studies from Latin America, expert interviews, and an analysis of company policies from Meta and X (formerly Twitter), the investigation finds that these forms of algorithmic silencing severely affect freedom of expression, access to public-interest information, and democratic participation.

These opaque moderation mechanisms disproportionately harm journalists, activists, creators, and marginalized communities, reinforcing existing social and structural inequalities. Ultimately, the report warns that the lack of transparency and accountability in platform governance threatens not only individual rights but also the integrity of democratic debate online. It calls for urgent regulatory and legal frameworks to ensure transparency, due process, and users’ right to appeal when platforms limit visibility or reach.

The report is available in the following languages:

Spanish: bit.ly/PublicaciónShadowBanning Portuguese: https://bit.ly/ShadowBanningPT

Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) Seminars on Global Digital Governance

Global digital governance concerns the “rules of the game” set by states and stakeholders for digital communication/information networks and related technologies. It encompasses post-war rule systems such as those for telecommunications; institutions and procedures created since the 1980s for Internet governance; and current efforts to establish shared rules for data, artificial intelligence, social media, interstate cyber-conflict and other issues raised by emerging technologies. The purpose of this new webinar series is to foster expert dialogue on the analytical and policy issues that continually arise across the heatedly contested and complex institutional ecosystem of global digital governance. The series seeks to build on the sort of debates that occur around multistakeholder Internet governance processes but which often go dim between international meetings and negotiations.

• International Cybersecurity Norms in the UN and Beyond (February 26, 2025)

• The WSIS+20 Review: What is Desirable? What is Possible? What is to be Done? (January 29, 2025)

• Digital Multilateralism After the UN Summit of the Future (October 24, 2024)

With 100 days to go to EU elections, RSF proposes 12-point New Deal for Right to Information

How can the European Union safeguard our right to reliable news and information in the face of growing disinformation, and technology such as generative artificial intelligence with an unprecedented ability to manipulate content? With 100 days to go to the EU elections, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is proposing a 12-point New Deal for the Right to Information.

Facts not Fakes: Tackling Disinformation, Strengthening Information Integrity (March 2024)

The OECD report 'Facts not Fakes: Tackling Disinformation, Strengthening Information Integrity' proposes a comprehensive policy framework encompassing enhanced transparency, accountability, and diversity of information sources, building societal resilience against disinformation, and improving governance and institutional measures to maintain a reliable information environment. And last but not least, it focuses on the benefits of prebunking and inoculation.

The AI Act and the Existential Risk Facing Journalism - Tech Policy Press (March 2024)

This article by Courtney Radsch discusses the European Union's recent passing of the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) and its implications for addressing the ethical, safety, and rights-based standards surrounding AI adoption. While the Act represents progress in regulating AI, it falls short in addressing existing harms caused by AI technologies, such as IP theft and algorithmic decision-making. The article highlights concerns regarding the Act's extended timeline for implementation, particularly in the context of elections and disinformation. However, it acknowledges the Act's potential to impact journalism and democracy positively by mandating transparency and copyright compliance in AI usage.

Content and platform governance in times of crisis: applying international humanitarian, criminal, and human rights law (March 2024)

The paper was drafted by our external consultant Dr. Talita Dias, Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC), University of Oxford. The paper complements the Declaration of principles for content and platform governance in times of crisis by outlining the legal foundations on which the Declaration is grounded. Those foundations are made up of three key legal frameworks that apply concurrently to online content governance in different types of crises: international humanitarian law; international criminal law; and international human rights law.

Disconcerted Public Super election year 2024: Concerns about disinformation in Germany and the United States (February 2024)

This study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung examines the increasing polarisation and fragmentation of public opinion in Europe, covering the key aspects of the role of misinformation and disinformation in shaping public discourse, the impact of algorithm-driven content on political polarisation, and the strategies employed by various actors to manipulate public opinion.

The Risks of Internet Regulation: How Well-Intentioned Efforts Could Jeopardize Free Speech - By David Kaye (March 2024)

In his article "The Risks of Internet Regulation: How Well-Intentioned Efforts Could Jeopardise Free Speech," David Kaye scrutinises the recent decision by the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation targeting Chinese media conglomerate ByteDance and its popular social media platform TikTok. The bill aims to address concerns about data privacy and national security, particularly regarding the potential influence of foreign governments on users' information consumption.

Kaye underscores the broader implications of such regulatory efforts, warning against the potential infringement on free speech and the transformation of the internet into a regulated space. This case highlights the complex interplay between security concerns, geopolitical tensions and the safeguarding of fundamental freedoms in the digital age.

NEXT GEN NEWS: Understanding the audiences of 2030

This report delves into the intricate and evolving relationship between young news consumers and the current news delivery mechanisms, based on an eight-month-long research project involving 45 participants from diverse backgrounds. Despite recognizing the value of news in their lives, many young consumers express dissatisfaction or disinterest in traditional news formats, highlighting a growing divide between what they seek from news experiences and what is presently available. The report argues for the imperative adaptation of news delivery to cater to the needs and expectations of the next generation, emphasizing that bridging this gap is crucial for the news industry's sustainability and societal impact by 2030.

Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms - UNESCO, 2023

The Guidelines outline a set of duties, responsibilities and roles for States, digital platforms, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, media, academia, the technical community and other stakeholders to enable the environment where freedom of expression and information are in the core of digital platforms governance processes.

The Guidelines were produced through a multi-stakeholder consultation that gathered more than 10,000 comments from 134 countries. These global-scale consultations fostered inclusive participation, ensuring a diversity of voices to be heard, including those from groups in situation of marginalization and vulnerability.

The Guidelines are available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian.

Online Research Guide (2023)

Henk van Ess - Global Investiative Journalism Network

The Online Research Guide by Henk van Ess is the third and final guide released by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) in concert with the GIJC conference, along with Investigating War Crimes and Investigating Digital Threats. The guide offers tips on how to search the biggest social media platforms and includes chapters on facial recognition search and online verification.

Meta's Human Rights Report: Insights and Actions 2022 (2023)

The report covers Meta’s human rights progress, actions and insights during calendar year 2022. It includes:

• key findings of a foundational program tool, our comprehensive salient risk assessment;

• detailed updates on prior due diligence; and

• insights from country, crisis, language, and stakeholder engagement work.

Meta has committed to report actions and insights annually in the Meta human rights policy. Doing so helps Meta “know and show” its human rights risks, in the spirit of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The inaugural report was released in 2022.