Verified

The things we share online can spread like wildfire and a small share can have big consequences.
© UNICEF/UN051302/Herwig

UN ‘Pause’ campaign has helped slow spread of life-threatening misinformation 

1 July 2021
Law and Crime Prevention

The UN’s Pause campaign, which encourages social media and other news consumers to stop and check the validity of information they share, received a major endorsement on Thursday after a study from a leading research institute in the United States concluded that it has helped encourage the behavioural change needed to stop the spread of misinformation online.

Elderly people at a remote village in Nepal hold up their vaccination cards after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. A sign behind them encourages everyone to receive the vaccines and highlights ways to protect oneself from the disease.
UNICEF/Laxmi Prasad Ngakhusi

Dispelling misinformation, countering vaccine hesitancy vital to beat COVID-19, countries affirm

7 April 2021
Health

Addressing misinformation and countering vaccine hesitancy features prominently in a political declaration launched at the United Nations General Assembly, as countries pledged to “work together as one” to defeat the pandemic, and help people and the planet to recover better. 

A person reads about COVID-19 on their cell phone. During the pandemic, smart phones with Internet have become a life-line for many, keeping them connected with their families and providing them with vital information.
UN OCHA/Gema Cortes

COVID-19: ‘Legitimate concerns’ must be heard, and fears addressed over misinformation

29 September 2020
Health

Amid continuing uncertainty, fear and anxiety around the world over the COVID-19 pandemic, senior UN officials are keen to stress the legitimacy of concerns, listen carefully to citizens around the world, and help them distinguish between misinformation and accurate information, based on science. 

A healthcare worker at a testing facility collects samples for the coronavirus at Mimar Sinan State Hospital, Buyukcekmece district in Istanbul, Turkey.
© UNDP Turkey/Levent Kulu

News in Brief 10 September 2020

10 September 2020
News in Brief
  • 'Halt deadly misinformation' in global vaccine race: UN chief
  • 58 countries pledge industrial transfats elimination: WHO
  • Southeast Asia commits to fight coronavirus 'as one'
Audio -
3'
Many children are attending online school from home during the coronavirus outbreak. Verified information helps keep everyone safe during a crisis like COVID-19.
© UNICEF/Lisa Adelson

Pause before sharing, to help stop viral spread of COVID-19 misinformation

30 June 2020
UN Affairs

The UN is asking people to make the same judgement calls they’ve been applying to social distancing, to social media, and take extra care before sharing.