Ending Hate Speech & Incitement On Social Media

The political sphere and the desperation left by the Covid-pandemic has left Social Media as well as the rest of the internet a battleground of misinformation, conspiracy theory and hate speech. The internet is undoubtedly the most important invention of the past fifty years, and social media has brought the world closer together, families, friends and business, providing fantastic opportunities for learning, research, connecting, advertising and marketing. Unfortunately, it has also made the world smaller for organised crime, sex predators, conspiracy theorists and bullies, dangers unknown in pre-www times: identity- and online banking theft, stalking, and most harrowing in recent months, the justification and whitewashing of atrocities by international propaganda campaigns.

Due to some high-profile cases in different parts of the world, some countries have already started to implement cyberbullying laws as the consequences for the victims are grave, oftentimes leading to suicide. Social media is an especially unkind place for victims of vicious online communities. Suppression of speech by circulating false and misleading information and inciting violence and hate speech against the target groups has also become an international problem as seen in recent years against environmental activists, rescue crews during the refugee crisis, doctors and scientists during the Covid-19 pandemic, against politicians, and most recently against both Jews and Muslims in many countries around the world since October 7, 2023.

The biggest threats of our time are populist propaganda and misinformation, not only to any democratic system that requires well educated and informed voters to go to the polls, but also to world peace and human rights in general. Social media, which was initially invented to allow family and old friends to keep up with each other, has turned into a place of hate, spite and despair. At PLeace Awaken alone we lost two associates to suicide by cyber-bullying since 2018. The political sphere and the desperation left by the Covid-pandemic has left Social Media as well as the rest of the internet a stomping ground for misinformation, conspiracy theory and hate speech.

One of the greatest dangers of misinformation is its power to sway opinions and manipulate the masses, oftentimes with sources and evidence that have been fabricated just the same. False information can lead to increased divisions in society and ultimately jeopardize the democratic system by destabilizing and negatively changing the political landscape with lasting effects for years or even decades to come. False information is one of the biggest challenges humanity faces.

What we need is solid cooperation and action from anyone involved with safety and security of the internet like national and international decision makers, industry representatives, NGOs and teachers. It is time for the International community to step up and for governments and platform operators to commit to taking action to put the necessary safety and security into place to combat cyber-bullying and misinformation. Fortunately, a vast number of countries have included cases of cyberbullying and stalking in their law books and many of them have their own cybercrime units installed, but much more needs to be done to ensure a safe place for everyone.

Laws and regulations have to be put into place along with penalties and consequences for people who deliberately spread fake news or, by doing so, commit slander or defamation of character. A first step could be requiring individuals and legal entities to identify themselves when registering for social media or other online platforms. A next step could be implementing literacy education in the mandatory curriculum of universities, high-schools and even for children. Teaching the art of critical questioning and fact-checking from an early age could solve many problems in the future. Corresponding educational media and television productions could also be put into place as complementing measures.

We must do better! It’s time to rise up and start holding governments, corporates and agencies accountable for all the human rights abuses they commit or enable. It’s time to rise above greed and vengeance and return to peace and light.