Hate speech in digital environments

Abstract

Online hate speech practices are a challenge to democracies, particularly because they touch on issues related to one of its pillars, namely freedom of speech. Seeking to understand the dynamics of negotiation between the safety of protected groups and the insurance of freedom of speech, this study investigated the public debate on Twitter and Facebook about hate speech and censorship. For that purpose, we will first present an overview of the definitions and legislations informing the understanding about hate speech, discussing the specificities of the online context and the forms of definition and self-regulation proposed by the platforms. Afterwards, based on a data collection on social networks, specifically Twitter and Facebook, we will analyze the public debate about hate speech and censorship, especially considering the peaks of discussion about these topics and events associated with them. Lastly, we will identify the major actors and interactions happening at the highest peak of debate about hate speech and censorship, using graphs that present a structural analysis of social networks. The study used bibliographic and documental sources as well as data collected on Facebook and Twitter, which were then analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively.