WHO to Use Listening Surveillance Systems to Monitor Speech
May 26, 2023 18:10:49 GMT -5
Post by schwartzie on May 26, 2023 18:10:49 GMT -5
WHO to Use ‘Listening Surveillance Systems’ to Monitor Americans’ Speech for ‘Misinformation’
Frank Bergman
May 26, 2023 - 12:57 pm
Congress is launching an investigation into the World Health Organization (WHO) after details emerged of the United Nations health body’s disturbing Orwellian plan to combat so-called “misinformation.”
The WHO’s pandemic prevention initiative, the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET), pushes plans to use “social listening surveillance systems” to monitor the public’s speech for “misinformation.”
However, PRET has been met with a backlash as more people start to push back against unelected bodies who are trying to suppress speech and potentially override sovereignty.
PRET aims to “guide countries in pandemic planning,” according to documents from the UN agency.
It states that the WHO is working to “incorporate the latest tools and approaches for shared learning and collective action established during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The PRET document describes “misinformation” as a “health threat.”
It also refers to this vague term as being part of a larger “infodemic.”
“Infodemic is the overabundance of information – accurate or not – which makes it difficult for individuals to adopt behaviors that will protect their health and the health of their families and communities,” the document states.
“The infodemic can directly impact health, hamper the implementation of public health countermeasures, and undermine trust and social cohesiveness.”
At no point does the WHO’s PRET document provide any evidence to support the claims about “misinformation” and “infodemics,” however.
Nevertheless, it continues to call for invasive methods of countering the alleged issue.
“Establish and invest in resources for social listening surveillance systems and capacities to identify concerns as well as rumors and misinformation,” the WHO’s PRET document urges.
“To build trust, it’s important to be responsive to needs and concerns, to relay timely information, and to train leaders and HCWs in risk communications principles and encourage their application.
“Communication should be tailored to the community of interest, focusing on and prioritizing vulnerable groups.
“New tools and approaches for social listening have been developed using new technologies such as artificial intelligence to listen to population concerns on social media (such as the Platform EARS developed by WHO).”
The document also recommends testing these tactics during “acute respiratory events including seasonal influenza.”
“Develop and implement communication and behavior change strategies based on infodemic insights, and test them during acute respiratory events including seasonal influenza,” it explains.
“This includes implementing infodemic management across sectors, and having a coordinated approach with other actors, including academia, civil society, and international agencies.”
The emergence of the disturbing documents has prompted calls from Republicans for an investigation into the WHO.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is holding a Congressional hearing on the WHO’s pandemic accord.
Democrat President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, recently met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
They met to discuss the accord and the “critical role” of the U.S. “in global health security.”
In his opening remarks at the World Health Assembly, Dr. Tedros said: “I urge you to deliver the pandemic accord on time, as a generational commitment.
“The next pandemic will not wait for us. We must be ready.”
The Accord’s preliminary document, zero draft, was first published in February.
In March, the Biden administration’s envoy at the negotiations, Pamela Hamamoto, said that the administration is “committed to the Pandemic Accord, to form a major component of the global health architecture for generations to come.”
“The American people have a right to know exactly what the Biden Administration is negotiating at the WHO, especially as the President remains silent and fails to reassure us that he will protect our Constitution from bureaucrats at this troubled United Nations body,” Rep. Smith said.
Smith is particularly concerned that the Accord could undermine America’s sovereignty over its healthcare infrastructure.
“The zero-draft WHO pandemic treaty starts off with very harsh criticism of the United States and the international community by calling it a ‘catastrophic failure of the international community in showing solidarity and equity in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic,’” Rep. Smith noted.
“Article 4 of the treaty pays lip service to sovereignty and then completely overcomes that lip service by saying, ‘provided that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to their peoples and other countries,’ which empowers the WHO to step in and prescribe what each country would do.”
During the hearing, Smith plans to ask Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the contents of the accord’s zero draft.
“Under absolutely no circumstances should the Biden Administration surrender American sovereignty to the World Health Organization and allow the voice of the American people and consent of the governed to be subjugated to dictates of an agenda-driven global administrative bureaucracy,” Smith insisted.
link
Frank Bergman
May 26, 2023 - 12:57 pm
Congress is launching an investigation into the World Health Organization (WHO) after details emerged of the United Nations health body’s disturbing Orwellian plan to combat so-called “misinformation.”
The WHO’s pandemic prevention initiative, the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET), pushes plans to use “social listening surveillance systems” to monitor the public’s speech for “misinformation.”
However, PRET has been met with a backlash as more people start to push back against unelected bodies who are trying to suppress speech and potentially override sovereignty.
PRET aims to “guide countries in pandemic planning,” according to documents from the UN agency.
It states that the WHO is working to “incorporate the latest tools and approaches for shared learning and collective action established during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The PRET document describes “misinformation” as a “health threat.”
It also refers to this vague term as being part of a larger “infodemic.”
“Infodemic is the overabundance of information – accurate or not – which makes it difficult for individuals to adopt behaviors that will protect their health and the health of their families and communities,” the document states.
“The infodemic can directly impact health, hamper the implementation of public health countermeasures, and undermine trust and social cohesiveness.”
At no point does the WHO’s PRET document provide any evidence to support the claims about “misinformation” and “infodemics,” however.
Nevertheless, it continues to call for invasive methods of countering the alleged issue.
“Establish and invest in resources for social listening surveillance systems and capacities to identify concerns as well as rumors and misinformation,” the WHO’s PRET document urges.
“To build trust, it’s important to be responsive to needs and concerns, to relay timely information, and to train leaders and HCWs in risk communications principles and encourage their application.
“Communication should be tailored to the community of interest, focusing on and prioritizing vulnerable groups.
“New tools and approaches for social listening have been developed using new technologies such as artificial intelligence to listen to population concerns on social media (such as the Platform EARS developed by WHO).”
The document also recommends testing these tactics during “acute respiratory events including seasonal influenza.”
“Develop and implement communication and behavior change strategies based on infodemic insights, and test them during acute respiratory events including seasonal influenza,” it explains.
“This includes implementing infodemic management across sectors, and having a coordinated approach with other actors, including academia, civil society, and international agencies.”
The emergence of the disturbing documents has prompted calls from Republicans for an investigation into the WHO.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is holding a Congressional hearing on the WHO’s pandemic accord.
Democrat President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, recently met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
They met to discuss the accord and the “critical role” of the U.S. “in global health security.”
In his opening remarks at the World Health Assembly, Dr. Tedros said: “I urge you to deliver the pandemic accord on time, as a generational commitment.
“The next pandemic will not wait for us. We must be ready.”
The Accord’s preliminary document, zero draft, was first published in February.
In March, the Biden administration’s envoy at the negotiations, Pamela Hamamoto, said that the administration is “committed to the Pandemic Accord, to form a major component of the global health architecture for generations to come.”
“The American people have a right to know exactly what the Biden Administration is negotiating at the WHO, especially as the President remains silent and fails to reassure us that he will protect our Constitution from bureaucrats at this troubled United Nations body,” Rep. Smith said.
Smith is particularly concerned that the Accord could undermine America’s sovereignty over its healthcare infrastructure.
“The zero-draft WHO pandemic treaty starts off with very harsh criticism of the United States and the international community by calling it a ‘catastrophic failure of the international community in showing solidarity and equity in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic,’” Rep. Smith noted.
“Article 4 of the treaty pays lip service to sovereignty and then completely overcomes that lip service by saying, ‘provided that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to their peoples and other countries,’ which empowers the WHO to step in and prescribe what each country would do.”
During the hearing, Smith plans to ask Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the contents of the accord’s zero draft.
“Under absolutely no circumstances should the Biden Administration surrender American sovereignty to the World Health Organization and allow the voice of the American people and consent of the governed to be subjugated to dictates of an agenda-driven global administrative bureaucracy,” Smith insisted.
link
