WHEREAS, it is the fifth anniversary of the Declaration of Salta on Principles of Freedom of Expression in the Digital Era, adopted in 2018 at the General Assembly, following a year of consultations with over a hundred experts in legal, academic, technological, and journalistic matters, as well as representatives of various organizations from all fields
WHEREAS, since its adoption, it was stipulated that the Declaration of Salta could be revised, modified, or updated in response to the adoption of new communication and information technologies, trends, debates regarding the responsibility of internet developers and digital platforms, and the evolution of public policies and regulations globally
WHEREAS, the new debates surrounding generative artificial intelligence and how this could impact, as per the " Global Principles on Artificial Intelligence" document, signed in September 2023 by the IAPA, among 26 international and national press organizations
WHEREAS, the new regulations in the European Union outlined in the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the debates in the United States Congress regarding the responsibility of digital platforms concerning the content they host or distribute
WHEREAS that algorithms of platforms, search engines, and social media have an increasing impact on the intermediation and distribution of journalistic content in the digital environment, along with a decisive influence on phenomena such as virality, disinformation, polarization, and echo chambers, all of which have potentially harmful effects on the democratic dynamics
WHEREAS the opacity and functioning of these algorithms are issues being addressed by regulatory bodies in the European Union, Australia, and other markets
WHEREAS digital advertising currently represents over half of the global advertising market and is concentrated on global platforms integrated throughout the marketing, sales, and advertising technology chain, generating incentives for the abuse of dominant positions
WHEREAS, the market, as mentioned above reality, is under investigation by official competition watchdogs in various countries
WHEREAS, there are other ongoing investigations, such as the one by the U.S. Department of Justice, regarding various behaviors of these platforms, including the technological integration of their products, exclusivity agreements, and the exclusion of competitors.
THE 79th IAPA GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLVES
To request the president of the IAPA to open a space for debate on the evolution of new communication and information technologies, their dilemmas, threats, and regulations, as well as to maintain a system of continuous monitoring and consultation on the subject with internal and external stakeholders of the organization
To ensure that the discussion process, monitoring, and consultation allow the organization to consider a potential reform or update of the Declaration of Salta to be discussed and approved at the 80th General Assembly in Cordoba, Argentina, in October 2024.
