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UN Global Principles for Information Integrity - Next Steps expects persons (#gpii98 - Households) to become Digitally Literate Person when participating in the Information Ecosystem (xy).

It sees these information eco-system stakeholders contribute to multi-stakeholder action plans in support of the digital literacy journeys of people, irrespective of the language(s) they speak:

• #gpii631 - Technology companies via #gpii631v - Foster digital literacy(xy):
  • Support media and information literacy drives to boost digital skills, including to improve public understanding of the function, effects and implications of algorithms.
  • Dedicate literacy and capacity-building resources for all languages and areas of operation, especially fragile contexts.
  • Provide safety-related training materials to children and youth.
  • Enable and make publicly available independent external evaluations of the effectiveness of literacy initiatives.
• stakeholder6399 via #gpii6399e - Support literacy(xy): Invest at the organizational level in the development and deployment of literacy initiatives to enhance public understanding of how AI models function and the implications for information consumers globally, with a focus on risks to information integrity.
• #gpii84 - States via #gpii84k - Foster literacy(j,xy):
  • Foster a critical and informed public discourse through targeted media and information literacy drives, seamlessly integrating digital skills into formal and informal education curricula from an early age.
  • Actively improve public understanding and awareness, including among children, of online rights, how digital information environments work and how personal data are used, taking into account specific social, cultural and linguistic needs of people of all ages and backgrounds.
  • Prioritize the literacy needs of individuals and groups in vulnerable and marginalized situations, including women, children, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities and the billions about to come online.
  • Undertake literacy efforts around specific problems related to AI technologies and continually update literacy efforts to reflect new and emerging technologies and challenges.
• #gpii9411 - Business and employers organizations via gpii9411b: Invest in media and information literacy for personnel at the organizational level, partnering with and calling on the expertise of relevant civil society actors.

By staying informed, applying skepticism, and using available tools and strategies, a digitally literate person can navigate the deluge of online information while resisting the traps of misinformation.

Improved digital and media literacy is also key for addressing these drivers on online untruths:

• Trust Deficit and
• Low Barriers To Entry.

Imagine a digitally literate person scrolling through social media and encountering a sensational post claiming a new medical breakthrough has "cured cancer overnight." Instead of immediately reacting or sharing:

• They note the source of the post and check if it’s a reputable medical journal or official health organization.
• They search for corroborating reports from trusted health authorities like the CDC or WHO.
• They use critical thinking to evaluate whether the claim sounds too good to be true, recognizing that significant breakthroughs are rarely announced this way.
• If the post is unverified or false, they avoid engaging with it, reducing its algorithmic visibility, and may flag it for misinformation if the platform allows.