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Commenting on Nobel Peace laureate Maria Ressa’s Nobel lecture, Doctor of Juridical Science candidate Perfecto Caparas, LL.M., ‘05, called for critical thinking and vigilance among journalists and citizens in the face of disinformation.

In an interview with Rodge Cultura of Radio Canada International, Caparas said dictatorships and surveillance states use artificial intelligence to consolidate power and suppress democratic rights. They exploit the algorithms of social media platforms to spread disinformation and crush democratic forces, he said.

The interview saw print in the article titled “Ressa’s speech rekindled the issue of journalists’ safety“ on December 14, 2021.

A writer for Pressenza and Pinoy Publiko, Caparas serves as a co-convenor of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) North America Chapter.

Due to big tech’s strategic impact, Caparas said they have a social responsibility to ensure their platforms only spread the truth and not sow hatred. Citizens, he added, must be vigilant in protecting their collective wellbeing, and civil and political rights. They need to think critically and study the implications of the moves of big tech and government who attempt to control their consciousness, he said.

Journalists need to advance their right to free speech and to free press and the people’s right to access and disseminate information, Caparas said. They also need to ensure their right to access remedies for violations of these rights is guaranteed. These rights are protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, he said.

Caparas is Associate Director of Graduate Programs at IU McKinney.