The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan, has included insights from the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) in a report to the Human Rights Council. The report addresses freedom of expression and elections in the digital age, citing CDT's submission and their "Rules of the Road: Political Advertising on Social Media in the 2024 U.S. Election" report.
The rapporteur highlighted several issues based on CDT's research:
1. The dual role of artificial intelligence in political campaigns: "Artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, scalable and sophisticated," providing opportunities for voter outreach while also posing risks by amplifying disinformation.
2. Challenges facing election-related research: The report noted how "legal harassment and smear campaigns by governmental and non-governmental actors reportedly led the Stanford Internet Observatory and the Election Integrity Partnership to discontinue their work during the 2024 elections."
3. Inconsistencies in social media platforms' policy enforcement: It was observed that "approaches by platforms to defining ‘political advertisements’ vary wildly," affecting transparency in advertising practices and disclosure requirements.
The integration of CDT's research into this UN report aims to enhance global understanding of human rights online and the influence of emerging technology on democratic processes. The report stresses the importance of ongoing research and advocacy concerning platform governance, AI transparency, and protecting election integrity research ecosystems.