TOGETHER GIBRALTAR UPDATES ITS CODE OF CONDUCT TO COMBAT DISINFORMATION AND FAKE NEWS
This century has seen the birth and exponential growth of organised, online disinformation. The last decade showed us the impacts of this phenomenon in politics. This year is showing us that the impact of disinformation can go much further. Disinformation and fake news can create violence, by sowing the seeds of division and hatred between people of different races, religions or ideologies. It can cost lives by disrupting public health communications and our faith in medicine and science. If we do not combat this aptly and urgently, disinformation threatens to dismantle society and erode our very precious and hard-earned democratic rights. This danger is complex and pervasive, preying on our inability to handle new and ever-changing technology, but also on age-old human vulnerabilities. We urge the public to not be fooled into thinking that this is still a fringe phenomenon affecting only the ill-informed. Modern day disinformation affects people of all ages, social backgrounds and intellectual capacities. It utilises every sophisticated technological means to know how and when to manipulate even some very informed and well-intentioned citizens. Today, under the guise of libertarianism, it is directly boycotting the very institutions that guarantee our freedoms, as has become evident in the aftermath of the 2020 US election.
Those who hold the power to reach great audiences, particularly those in positions of power, have the responsibility to act against this growing threat peacefully, using language, science and reason, bur also very firmly. At Together Gibraltar, we believe that fighting disinformation is one of the most important missions of our time, and we therefore pledge to do our bit by updating the code of conduct applied to our executives with the following clauses:
• Party Executive members share a responsibility to uphold our democratic institutions and to act as responsible advocates of the party's message and values. All reasonable precautions must be taken to ensure the content published in their social media accounts is fact-checked and does not contribute to targeted disinformation campaigns.
• Party Executive members accept that Together Gibraltar’s position on issues of health, public health, or the environment are driven by scientific evidence. Executive members are bound by the above clauses to reflect party values to this effect.
This phenomenon has affected TG very directly, causing changes in the party’s executive body. Party leader, Marlene Hassan Nahon, said: “From our corner, we will continue to challenge attacks on reason, truth and good judgement for the good of our community. We hope other parties follow our lead and stand firm against this growing threat, and are not tempted to exploit this phenomenon for their own electoral benefit. If they do, we will all pay the price.”