Moot discusses ways to combat hate speech
There are ambiguities regarding whether it aims to stomp down on terrorism & hate speech or curb right to free speech. STOCK IMAGE
Discussants of a moot titled ‘Countering Digital Threats and Building Resilience of Communities’ Friday spotlighted the lack of discourse relating to online freedoms in the country particularly with the rise of hate speech and disinformation against vulnerable individuals and communities.
The conference was organised by the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) in the federal capital.
The moot brought together experts from across the country with two panels, highlighting DRF’s engagements and redressal mechanisms available in the country for at-risk communities.
The event started with welcome remarks by DRF Programmes Lead Seerat Khan in which she highlighted the particular vulnerabilities that religious minorities face in the country, especially concerning rising hate speech and disinformation.
DRF Executive Director Nighat Dad also noted that with the upcoming elections drawing closer, one could see how harmful content about religious minorities is increasing.
“The rise in hate speech and disinformation will be even more rapid with the use of AI and generative AI which is quite concerning.” The Election Commission of Pakistan and government institutions need to address this and include hate speech in the code of conduct for political parties that the commission is developing.
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“Social media platforms also need to do more to address how hate speech and disinformation spread and the impact they have on at-risk communities in countries like Pakistan.”
She said in 2021, DRF conducted research titled "Religious Minorities in Online Spaces," addressing communities' vulnerabilities to attacks, disinformation campaigns, harassment, and hate speech.
“The research mapped the experiences of religious minorities in online spaces and through surveys and interviews, we found a majority of respondents for the aforementioned research experienced online negativity, including backlash or threats based on religious affiliation and/or a combination of factors.”
The first panel of the conference, ‘Navigating Digital Boundaries: Combating Online Hate Speech and Disinformation’ was a conversation about the challenges posed by online hate speech and disinformation targeting vulnerable groups. The panel was moderated by Senior Programme Manager Zainab Durrani and included NCHR Secretary Kamran Raja and Dr Shoaib Suddle.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2023.