The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council has called on Governments to ensure that their responses to the spread of disinformation comply with international human rights law and that their efforts to counter disinformation respect and protect the right to freedom of expression; the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information; as well as other human rights.
In the resolution, A/HRC/62/L.9, which was adopted by consensus on July 6, 2026, at its 62nd regular session held in Geneva, Switzerland, the Council also urged Governments “to refrain from conducting or sponsoring disinformation campaigns domestically or transnationally for political or other purposes, and encourages them to condemn such acts.”
The resolution, titled “Role of States in Countering the Negative Impact of Disinformation on the Enjoyment and Realization of Human Rights,” stated that disinformation can undermine the enjoyment of virtually all human rights and stressed that States have a central responsibility to address the problem without resorting to censorship or other restrictions that violate freedom of expression and access to information.
Expressing concern over the deliberate creation and dissemination of false or manipulated information for political, financial, or other purposes, the Council explained that such campaigns can mislead the public, fuel hatred and discrimination, deepen social divisions, undermine democratic institutions and electoral processes, and interfere with informed participation in public affairs, adding that disinformation can erode trust in science, public institutions, and the media while threatening the rights to privacy and access to information.
It highlighted the growing role of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in accelerating information manipulation, noting that advances in AI technologies and related algorithms have significantly increased the ability to create and disseminate convincing false content at unprecedented speed and scale.
The Council cautioned that synthetic media and AI-generated content could undermine information integrity and public confidence in democratic systems if deployed irresponsibly, while acknowledging that AI also offers opportunities to strengthen efforts to counter disinformation when used consistently with international human rights law.
It expressed particular concern over the use of AI-generated synthetic media and non-consensual intimate content to target women and girls, especially women journalists, politicians, human rights defenders, and advocates for gender equality, thereby discouraging their participation in public life.
The Council also noted that journalists, human rights defenders, and vulnerable groups are increasingly subjected to coordinated disinformation campaigns that discredit their work, restrict civic space, and weaken public trust in democratic institutions.
It emphasized that efforts to counter disinformation must never serve as a pretext for censorship or the enactment of vague and overly broad laws criminalizing disinformation, adding that any restrictions on freedom of expression must comply with the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality under international human rights law.
The Council strongly condemned Internet shutdowns and restrictions imposed under the guise of combating disinformation, describing them as inconsistent with the need for a free, open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet.
It called on States, civil society, industry, international organizations, the media, and other stakeholders to recognize the compounding risks that disinformation could introduce to electoral and other democratic processes and work in a cross-sectoral manner to develop practical strategies, including through media and information literacy, to mitigate risks while ensuring the full enjoyment of human rights and freedoms.
The Council also urged States and, where applicable, other stakeholders to refrain from or cease the use of AI systems that are impossible to operate in compliance with international human rights law or that pose undue risks to the enjoyment of human rights, and reaffirm that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, including throughout the life cycle of AI systems;
The Council further called on States to:
- Facilitate an environment supportive of countering disinformation through multidimensional and multi-stakeholder responses that are in compliance with international human rights law, including through enhanced cooperation with international organizations, civil society, the media, the private sector, and other stakeholders;
- Encourage business enterprises, including social media companies, to address disinformation while respecting human rights, including through the review of business models, particularly the role of algorithms and ranking systems in amplifying disinformation, enhancing transparency, enforcing all applicable legal protections for users, and encouraging due diligence in line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
- Refrain from conducting or sponsoring disinformation campaigns domestically or transnationally for political or other purposes, and encourages them to condemn such acts;
- Improve access to diverse and verifiable sources of information, including through robust laws and policies that protect and enable access to information, transparency of governance, and the promotion of independent, free, plural, and diverse media; take measures to close digital divides, including the gender digital divide; and ensure the safety of journalists and media workers online and offline;
- Recognize and address the harm suffered by victims of disinformation, including journalists, human rights defenders, women and girls, minorities, and persons in vulnerable situations, and ensure access to protection, remedies, where applicable, and support; and
- Develop and deploy effective, accessible, adaptable, and internationally interoperable technical tools, standards or practices, including reliable content authentication and provenance mechanisms, such as watermarking or labelling, where technically feasible and appropriate, that enable users to identify information manipulation, distinguish or determine the origins of authentic digital content and artificial intelligence-generated or manipulated digital content, and increase media and information literacy;
The Council requested the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in consultation with relevant UN entities, the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, technical experts, members of civil society, and other stakeholders, to prepare a comprehensive study on the human rights implications of the use of AI in the dissemination of disinformation.
The study will examine challenges related to synthetic media, automated systems, and coordinated digital campaigns, including in the context of foreign information manipulation and interference, as well as safeguards and human rights-based approaches aimed at enhancing transparency and information integrity.
The study is to be presented to the Council at its 67th session.
Read the full text of the resolution here.
