Hate speech is having a clear impact on society: one of many similarities between January’s attacks on Brazilian government buildings and storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, is each incident that occurred after certain groups repeatedly directed dangerous language and false statements against others.
Concerns about the growing phenomenon have led independent human rights experts Calling on major social media platforms to change their business model and become more responsible in the fight against the growing hate speech online.
Recently, the case of divisive social media influencer Andrew Tate gained widespread media attention, after he was detained in Romania, as part of an investigation into the matter. allegations of trafficking and rape, which he denies.
Tate was previously banned on various popular social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for expressing false views and making hate speech.
In the new UN Podcasts series unite against hateproducer Katy Dartford talks to prominent activists whose work has made them the subject of attacks, disinformation and cyberbullying.
Hate speech and deadly violence in South Sudan
In South Sudan, internet access is limited to a small group, but activists like Edmund Yakani, one of the country’s most prominent human rights defenders, remain the target of hate speech. online.
In this episode of the UNiting Against Hate podcast, Mr. Yakani explains that hate speech, both domestically and diaspora, is contributing to an increase in violence in the world’s latest internationally recognized country: 60% of violence deaths in this country, he said, are triggered by hate speech.
Mr. Yakani said that he is often the victim of online attacks in which his image or statements have been distorted. “Some describe me as some kind of animal, a cockroach, monkey or snake, or just call me a killer.”
“This story means a lot. It destroys my social structure, my relationships with others, and it creates mistrust and distrust of people towards me.”
Mr. Yakani worries that hate speech is having a destabilizing effect on his country, making violence the main tool for resolving disputes. The answer, in his opinion, is to invest more in effective responses, including targeted sanctions against those responsible, improved legislation and education. .
Despite the many risks to his own security, Mr. Yakani continues to strive to ensure accountability, justice and respect for human rights. “Anyone who is standing up and demanding accountability, transparency and anti-corruption, or demanding democratic transition, is always the target of hate speech..”
‘Coming soon’ as Dalit
When in 2015 Yashica Dutt, openly describing herself as the Dalit – a group of people who, according to subscribers to India’s caste system, sit at the bottom of the pyramid – she became another victim of hate speech.
“I was very loud. I’m talking about what caste looks like and how we need to identify and acknowledge that it exists and not remove it anymore. And obviously that story bothered a lot of people, so I have been a part of many troll attacks“.
The award-winning journalist and author of the memoir “Coming out as Dalit” says caste exists in Indian societies, whether in the country itself or the Indian diaspora. The rise of social media has led to racism, hate, and verbal attacks that are making an unwanted comeback, she said.
Her Tumblr blog, “Dalit Discrimination Document,” is an attempt to create a safe space to talk about the hurt of being a lower caste, but she says Now she faces hate speech every day on Twitter and Facebook.
“If I talk or have a group discussion, there are always some spoilers,” she said. “I was told that I was being paid by a mysterious agency, not because I was really fed up with the discrimination that I and those around me faced.”
Hate speech “really takes a form of online disgust because you can mobilize an army of trolls to attack your account and make sure you never use your voice again. And it was pretty scary,” she said.
According to Ms. Dutt, a well-known right-wing account has incited its millions of followers to commit abuse, defamation and threats of physical or sexual assault, even death.
“I was offline for a long time. Although I live in New York, a lot of threats come from India. And now we also have the proliferation of Hindu fundamentalist communities in the United States. It was scary, and over time, I learned to deal with it.”
“Consciously or subconsciously, this affects how we use our voices. Finally, what do you think if I tweeted this in this particular way, what would be the consequences?
‘I buried all my hopes’
Another female writer and journalist who has experienced the life-threatening effects of hate speech is a writer and journalist Martina Mlinarević.
For many years, Ms. Mlinarević, who was also Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ambassador to the Czech Republic, wrote about aspects of corruption in her country. Because of this, she has faced threats and insults online, but the level of abuse has reached new heights, when a photo of her mastectomy scar was posted on a social media website. magazine, the first for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I had to move with a young child to another city due to cyberbullying and intimidation. The hardest and saddest part for me was running away from my hometown, where I lived for 37 years.”
Ms. Mlinarević explained how in 2020, when she arrived in Prague, a doll made to look like her was burned at a traditional carnival. “It’s a kind of repressive campaign that punishes me not only for revealing my scar on my chest but for daring to comment on politics and promote gender issues and all sorts of other issues.”
All of these attacks went unpunished at the time, and they escalated into terrifying threats to her and her family’s safety. “For me, that was the moment when I buried all my hopes for the area where I came from.”
Despite her experiences, Ms. Mlinarević remains optimistic about the future. “I’m trying to work with young people as much as I can, trying to empower their voices, the voices of girls and women, and trying to teach them to stand up for themselves and for others. is different. Let’s hope the future brings something better for all of our children.”
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