The battle for your brain: economics of information disorder

Information disorder is complex and highly commercial. At its heart it's driven by an economic model - the attention economy, which swaps our attention and data, for revenue in the form of advertising. This doesn't sound like much, but this model is breaking democracy, journalism, and arguably, capitalism. 

The pollution of our online environments is the byproduct. As companies, grifters, and malicious state actors scramble for our attention, the quality of information is in free-fall. In a world of cheap, and readily available AI generated slop - the Pope wears Balenciaga and Shrimp Jesus is king. Meanwhile, authoritarianism and lies flourish while climate action and inclusion slow. 

But there is hope. This situation doesn't work for anyone - from big business, to the United Nations. Business leaders, NGOs, legal practices, and even potential whistleblowers are taking note. 

The UN Global Principles on Information Integrity is a powerful framework for combating digital chaos in our hyper-connected world. The principles insist on human rights protection while fighting lies, highlighting the delicate balance between free expression and information reliability. They're not just aspirational—they're practical guardrails, pushing governments and companies to build resilient information ecosystems through education, algorithmic transparency, and meaningful enforcement. 

In an era where digital manipulation threatens democracy itself, these principles represent our first truly global commitment to protecting the information commons.

A thought-provoking keynote designed to demystify economic incentives that drive the creation, distribution, and amplification of the information pollution that's battling for our brains.

Unpacking how creating healthy incentives for quality content will result in better results for society, plus how the NGO and advertising communities can form unusual alliances to make this happen. Offering a critical analysis of responsibility and concrete suggestions for rewiring our online information systems, so that they benefit all of us. 

This programme session is supported by Stiftung Mercator. / Dieser Programmpunkt wird durch die Stiftung Mercator unterstützt.