Thanks for Richard for drawing our attention to this document. From the HIFA perspective, apart from the paragraphs on AI, I think the key statements in this are the following:
"technological change has, in some cases, exacerbated inequalities and created new divides and challenges, such as unequal access between and within countries, risks to data security and privacy, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, cyberbullying, hate speech and the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation."
"challenges, including those linked to health misinformation, misuse of personal data and inequitable access, must be addressed in order to ensure that technological advances benefit everyone."
"Misinformation and disinformation compound online risks by eroding trust, fuelling hate speech and undermining democratic processes. Children and adolescents are at heightened risk as they lack the skills and knowledge to judge the veracity of information they encounter online. Older adults are also disproportionately vulnerable to digital fraud, cyberattacks and the misuse of their health information. Central to digital rights are algorithmic transparency and accountability, the protection of personal data and the assurance of informed user consent. Individuals must have control over how their data are collected, used and shared. Rights-based regulations are needed to safeguard freedom, dignity and equitable access to digital spaces, especially for marginalized populations."
And, among the conclusions and recommendations, the report states we should: "Leverage digital solutions ...to empower people by equipping them with the knowledge, tools and resources to make informed decisions about matters affecting their health and well-being; invest in digital health literacy and support the development and deployment of new health technologies, while ensuring that regulatory frameworks uphold ethical standards and promote equity"
Chris Zielinski
Centre for Global Health, University of Winchester, UK and
President, World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
Blogs; http://ziggytheblue.wordpress.com and http://ziggytheblue.tumblr.com
Publications: http://www.researchgate.net and https://winchester.academia.edu/ChrisZielinski/
HIFA profile: Chris Zielinski: As a Visiting Fellow and Lecturer at the Centre for Global Health, University of Winchester, Chris leads the Partnerships in Health Information (Phi) programme, which supports knowledge development and brokers healthcare information exchanges of all kinds. He is President of the World Association of Medical Editors. Chris has held senior positions in publishing and knowledge management with WHO in Brazzaville, Geneva, Cairo and New Delhi, with FAO in Rome, ILO in Geneva, and UNIDO in Vienna. He served on WHO's Ethical Review Committee, and was an originator of the African Health Observatory. He also spent three years in London as Chief Executive of the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society. Chris has been a director of the UK Copyright Licensing Agency, Educational Recording Agency, and International Association of Audiovisual Writers and Directors. He has served on the boards of several NGOs and ethics groupings (information and computer ethics and bioethics). chris AT chriszielinski.com. His publications are at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chris-Zielinski and https://winchester.academia.edu/ChrisZielinski/ and his blogs are http://ziggytheblue.wordrpress.com and https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ziggytheblue