In a radio interview with IPI, free expression rapporteur David Kaye shares thoughts on hate speech and online intimidation against journalists.
This statement was published on freemedia.at on 1 April 2015.
“A really big question online is, what’s the responsibility of the business sector, the corporate actors? Because when we are talking about online speech and harassment, most of it happens in places owned by private actors, they are not government. That actually is a very risky area right now: What responsibilities do we put on private actors to regulate that speech?” That is an open question David Kaye, U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, put forth during a radio interview with the International Press Institute (IPI) on March 28, 2015 at IPI’s World Congress in Myanmar.
Online harassment is just one among numerous topics related to speech in the digital realm that will be included in Kaye’s first report since assuming the post of special rapporteur last year. The report, to be published in June 2015, will study the use of encryption and anonymity in digital communications.
IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis sat down with Kaye to learn what measures need to be discussed in order to address hate speech online and online harassment and intimidation against journalists.
