The Global Risks Report 2024

Misinformation and disinformationCensorship and surveillance Adverse outcomes of frontier technologies Cyber insecurity Adverse outcomesof AI technologiesTechnological powerconcentrationIntrastate violence Terrorist attacksErosion of human rights SocietalpolarizationInterstate armed conflict Infectious diseasesRisk interconnections FIGURE 1.10 Source World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2023-2024. Edges Relative influence High LowMediumRisk influenceNodes High LowMedium Risk categories Economic Environmental Geopolitical Societal TechnologicalReferenceMisinformation and disinformation The export of authoritarian digital norms to a wider set of countries could create a vicious cycle: the risk of misinformation quickly descends into the widespread control of information which, in turn, leaves citizens vulnerable to political repression and domestic disinformation. 27 GRPS respondents highlight strong bilateral relationships between Misinformation and disinformation, Censorship and surveillance (#21) and the Erosion of human rights (#15), indicating a higher perceived likelihood of all three risks occurring together (Figure 1.10). This is a particular concern in those countries facing upcoming elections, where a crackdown on real or perceived foreign interference could be used to consolidate existing control, particularly in flawed democracies or hybrid regimes. Yet more mature democracies could also be at risk, both from extensive exercises of government control or due to trade-offs between managing mis- and disinformation and protecting free speech. In January last year, Twitter and YouTube agreed to remove links to a BBC documentary in India. 28 In Mexico, civil society has been concerned about the government's approach to fake news and its implications for press freedom and safety. 29 Global Risks Report 2024 21