Hate speech on Facebook is 'most acute challenges to human dignity', says UN expert

An independent United Nations (UN) human rights expert on December 23 called for Facebook’s Oversight Board to enhance the consideration of the minorities before making rules over controversial content including hate speech online. Fernand de Varennes, UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues welcomed the recent move by the social media network’s Oversight Board for accepting its first six cases appealing against the decision to take content down from the platform. However, the independent UN expert also noted that it is the minorities that are most impacted by the hate content online and even said that it is “one of today’s most acute challenges to human dignity and life”.

“Minorities are the most likely target of online hate speech, and we know that online hate speech against minorities often leads to severe real-world harm, and may even lead to ethnic cleansing and genocide”, said Fernand de Varennes.

“Hate speech online is one of today’s most acute challenges to human dignity and life”, he added. 

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UN expert hailed the Facebook Oversight Board

Even though the UN expert raised concerns over the management of hate speech, he also hailed the Oversight Board. Fernand de Varennes called the board “innovative and ambitious” which Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has compared to the social media platform’s own Supreme Court and a body that reviews the decision made by the platform for moderating content. The UN expert noted its role in regulating “hate speech” which is also important for the effective protection of all the vulnerable communities. As per the UN report, he also commended the fact that the Board consists of prominent experts that are devoted to human rights as well as freedom of expression. Fernand de Varennes even noted the efforts that the board has made in order to ensure the impartiality.

The independent UN expert called the Oversight Board “an innovative and ambitious initiative to regulate online expression, in particular hate speech, which is essential for the effective protection of vulnerable minorities worldwide”. 

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