IVERIFY

Supporting actors around the world for the prevention and mitigation of disinformation, misinformation and hate speech.

IVERIFY

Understanding online information pollution is an urgent global challenge. Misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech threaten peace and security, disproportionately affecting those who are already vulnerable.

iVerify is UNDP’s fact-checking tool provided and used by national stakeholders to identify false information and prevent and mitigate its spread. It is supported through the UNDP Chief Digital Office and the UNDP Brussels-based Task Force on Electoral Assistance.

iVerify is also a Digital Public Good and can be found in the DPG Registry.

Area of focus

iVerify provides national stakeholders with a support package to enhance identification, monitoring and response capacity to threats to information integrity. The support package includes digital tools, capacity building modules, partnership opportunities, and communication and outreach strategies amongst others.

Our principles

The mechanism is guided by the following principles:

NON-DUPLICATION

Taps into existing initiatives, leveraging open-source solutions and promoting coordination to avoid duplication and achieve the mutualization of resources and capacity.

MULTI-STAKEHOLDER APPROACH

Combines strengths and builds synergies between actors from different sectors (CSOs, media, government, private sector) to counter dis/misinformation and hate speech and contribute to information, resources and knowledge sharing.

SUSTAINABILITY

Proposes sustainable solutions that benefit from existing and sound technologies, assessing their impact and capacity to be sustained in the long-term.

How it works

iVerify will only be deployed following an in-depth assessment to ensure the solution is provided to impartial and credible national stakeholders that work to safeguard information integrity while respecting freedom of expression, freedom of the press or political and social rights.

The following methodology is applied to support fact-checking initiatives at country level:

1. Check facts, not opinions

The claim (content) is reviewed to establish whether it is fact-checkable and/or constitutes hate speech, as opposed to the expression of an opinion.

2. Consult relevant sources and investigate all sides to the story

The sources consulted include first and foremost the drafter or quoted individual. Other sources consulted include public data and sources ranging from thematic experts to relevant authorities to ensure all sides of the story are investigated.  

3. Guarantee triple verification

Every story is checked by three separate reviewers to mitigate individual bias, ensure no information is missing and guarantee quality control.

4. Publish fact-checking report based on the available evidence at a point in time

The fact-checked content is presented with the relevant rating alongside the narrative and references or proof that justifies it, based on the evidence existing at that point in time.

5. Remain vigilant to new findings on fact-checked content

Based on new information or evidence that may appear on content that was already fact checked, updates to the report may be conducted in line with the retraction policy.