A new documentary by Dr Talita Dias, Shaw Foundation Junior Research Fellow in Law, explores the implications of online hate speech under international law.
Hate speech is not a new phenomenon, but in the digital age, its impact within and beyond national borders has been unprecedented. In a world where most social interactions take place at speed over the internet, online hate speech has led to real harm, including in both developing and developed countries. Yet states, online platforms and other stakeholders have struggled to strike the appropriate balance between countering digital hate and respecting the rights of individuals to freedom of expression, and information online.
The ‘Just Speech’ project, which Talita leads, addresses this and other related questions by looking at what international law has to say on the matter. In an effort to engage the public and other stakeholders with the issue of online hate speech, the project has produced a short documentary entitled “Online Hate Speech: International Law and Policy”. Narrated by Talita, the documentary contains animations and interviews with leading experts on online hate speech from different fields, such as law and anthropology: Theodor Meron, David Kaye, Kate O’Regan, Sahana Udupa, and Cathy Buerger.
Talita says, “The Just Speech project aims to unpack online hate speech and piece together its international framework, and these themes are the focus of the documentary. It asks questions such as ‘What constitutes online hate? To what extent does online hate speech cause individuals to behave in a violent or dangerous manner? What are the legal implications of online hate speech under international law? Should it be prohibited or even criminalised? How can we tackle this problem whilst ensuring respect for the right to freedom of expression online?’”.
The documentary takes audiences through a journey that starts from abstract legal materials and provisions to real-world examples of the tension between countering online hatred, and protecting free speech. For example, it looks at the role of Facebook in enabling violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar; Donald Trump’s inflammatory tweets and their influence on the United States Capitol insurrection; and the use of hateful rhetoric in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Talita adds, “The film also provides guidance for states, online platforms, and users on content moderation measures and other best practices to ensure respect for fundamental human rights in the digital environment. We hope it will be a valuable resource for all those wishing to understand and respond positively to the legal issues around online hate speech”.
She will also be discussing her research and new documentary at an upcoming #JesusInternational online event on Thursday 3rd November 2022, from 6pm – 7pm GMT. If you would like to join the event, click here for more details.
‘Online Hate Speech: International Law and Policy’ will be launched later this autumn. In the meantime, Theodor Meron, Honorary Professor of Law at Trinity College, Oxford, who served as judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, talks about the changing conceptions of hate speech in society in this new trailer for the film.