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Global Law on Online Hate Speech Content

Global internet law is evolving and fragmenting.

Where it was once defined by the US model of limited liability, countries are independently pursuing a new model of enhanced moderation obligations based on Germany’s Network Enforcement Act (2017). Liabilities are also changing with many governments creating stiff financial penalties for platforms who fail to comply. Not only are these directed at the platforms, but these new actions can result in a loss of market access, and in some cases criminal convictions for company officials.

As global regulation changes, policy teams seeking to navigate these unsettled waters must react quickly. This report provides Trust & Safety teams with the overview of the relevant pieces of legislation that impact the handling of hate speech content online.

In this downloadable, the second in our series we summarize and provide links to the relevant laws related to hate speech in over 70 countries. The laws are effective May 2022. 

 

*The report is meant as an informational tool. It is not legal advice.

Portrait of Gideon Freud, author on the ActiveFence blog
Gideon Freud

Gideon is a Senior Intelligence Writer at ActiveFence. He graduated from Oxford University in 2012, where he studied social and cultural anthropology with a special focus on the growth of political extremism in Europe. He joined ActiveFence in January 2021, and is interested in researching the development of national laws focused on regulating online activities.