'Not everything you see online is true': UN warns of misinformation's real-world harm

The UN marked Social Media Day with a warning about the dangers of online misinformation, urging the public to remember that "not everything you see online is true."

The UN designates June 30 as Social Media Day and used the occasion to caution that "misinformation can spread rapidly in times of crisis" and that "what we share online can have serious consequences in the real world."

The organization also urged people to practice three habits every day in observance of the occasion.

The UN advised people not to spread rumors, to get information from reliable sources, and to pause before posting or sharing to ask basic questions and verify facts through independent research.

The UN Development Programme echoed the message, warning that "disinformation spreads in an instant, fueling hatred, fear and anger."

Social Media Day was first established in 2010 by Mashable, a US-based technology and digital media outlet, to celebrate the positive impact social media has had on how people around the world communicate.

While the UN did not create the observance itself, it has chosen to participate, reflecting the organization's view of social media's far-reaching global influence.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission has drafted an enforcement decree that would require large platforms — including social media services and online communities with at least 1 million daily active users — to take active measures against false and manipulated information.

The commission held a plenary session on June 29 and approved amendments to the enforcement decree and a new administrative notice under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, which was revised last January. The amendments are set to be promulgated and take effect in early July after clearing a vice ministerial meeting and a Cabinet meeting.