To mark this year’s International Day for Countering Hate Speech, Chair of the Congress Social Inclusion Committee, Nazia Rehman (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD) has called on local and regional authorities to take practical steps to eradicate hate speech online.

“Discrimination and personal attacks thrive in the anonymity of the internet, and the rise of Artificial Intelligence is creating the means to spread hate by new means and to a wider audience. The targets are often specific groups – including women, LGBTI people and ethnic or religious minorities – and the impact can be intimidation, exclusion and self-censorship. But any individual can be the victim of hate speech online - and all of us must do what we can to stop it”, said Ms Rehman.

On the role that local and regional governments can play, Ms Rehman pointed to the added urgency of taking specific measures, including those outlined in the Congress report “Hate speech and fake news”:

“Education programmes to protect young people from being groomed online for political radicalisation and violent extremism; ensuring that any digital and AI tools commissioned are designed to counter hate rather than enable it; protecting elected representatives from online attacks and supporting them where these happen. These are just some of the measures that local and regional authorities can take to help turn the tide of hate speech.

“Given the scale of the problem, there isn’t a moment to lose.”