Beyza Binnur Dönmez
10 January 2025•Update: 10 January 2025
GENEVA
The UN is keeping a close eye on developments in the social media sphere but remains committed to maintaining its presence on key platforms to disseminate fact-based information, a senior UN official said Friday.
Michele Zaccheo from the UN Information Service in Geneva addressed the UN’s approach to social networks amid recent controversies surrounding tech giants like Meta and Elon Musk’s behavior in a press briefing.
Responding to a question on whether the UN plans to alter its policies on where it publishes messages, Zaccheo emphasized the organization’s current strategy of maintaining its presence.
“We're constantly watching this space and evaluating it,” he said. “Up until now, our posture has been that it's important for us to be present with fact-based information, and this is what we advocate for.”
He acknowledged the evolving nature of the digital landscape and the emergence of diverse approaches from actors in the international cooperation space. However, he noted that the UN remains focused on its mission of sharing reliable information where people seek its voice.
“At present, we still believe that it's important to be there on those platforms,” he said. “We maintain our space on a number of these social media platforms, the ones that we're active on currently, because there are people who are looking for our information and for our voice as the UN.”
While the UN’s stance may adapt in the future, Zaccheo made it clear that, for now, the organization is holding its course in the digital realm.
"That may change, but at the moment, we're maintaining this course," he said.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, recently announced it would scale back its fact-checking efforts in certain regions. Critics have expressed concerns that the move could contribute to the unchecked spread of misinformation, especially in countries already struggling with disinformation campaigns.
Meanwhile, Musk is the center of criticism for his inflammatory comments, including anti-migrant and Islamophobic rhetoric, as well as his open support for far-right figures in the UK and across Europe, fueling debate over foreign influence, free speech, and the role of social media in modern politics.
His recent live stream on his platform X with a German extreme-right leader, Alice Weidel, provoked discussions over possible electoral interference as it comes ahead of snap elections in Germany on Feb. 23.
