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Past Project

Harmful Speech Online

The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society has launched a research, policy analysis, and network building effort devoted to the study of harmful speech, in close collaboration with the Center for Communication Governance at National Law University in New Delhi, the Digitally Connected network, and in conjunction with the Global Network of Internet & Society Centers. This effort aims to develop research methods and protocols to enable and support robust cross-country comparisons; study and document country experiences, including the policies and practices of governments and private companies, as well as civil society initiatives and responses; and build and expand research, advocacy, and support networks. Our efforts build upon many complementary projects and initiatives, including the Center’s ongoing work related to Youth-Oriented Online Hate Speech / Viral Peace, as well as the activities of various individuals and institutions within our networks.

This project is supported in part by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. 


Our Work 16

Publication
Nov 21, 2019

Content and Conduct

How English Wikipedia Moderates Harmful Speech

This study assesses the degree to which English-language Wikipedia is successful in moderating harmful speech

News
May 7, 2018

Your Guide to BKC@RightsCon 2018

Connect with members of the Berkman Klein community and learn about their research.

Dec 20, 2017

Berkman Klein at IGF 2017

This week marks the 12th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a multistakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance.

News
Oct 19, 2017

How Facebook Tries to Regulate Postings Made by Two Billion People

Berkman Klein Center hosts a day of conversation about reducing harmful speech online and hears from the Facebook executive in charge of platform moderation policies

The Berkman Klein Center community explores broader research questions and topics related to the challenges of keeping tabs on the daily social media interactions of hundreds of…

Event
Sep 19, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

The Line Between Hate and Debate

featuring Monika Bickert, Facebook’s Head of Global Policy Management in conversation with Professor Jonathan Zittrain

As society figures out what is acceptable and what is harmful, can technology play a role in improving online debate?

Publication
Aug 14, 2017

Perspectives on Harmful Speech Online

This collection of short essays and opinion pieces on harmful speech online covers a broad spectrum of thought and ideas from the Berkman Klein community.

News
Aug 8, 2017

Harmful Speech Online: At the Intersection of Algorithms and Human Behavior

A workshop exploring how algorithms and human behavior can both enable and prevent harmful speech online

How do algorithms and human behavior intersect to impact the spread and study of harmful speech online?

News
Dec 8, 2016

New Publications Examine Harmful Speech Online

This collection of publications includes an assessment of the efforts of civil society organizations to address racist speech in Brazil and Colombia; a study of the legal…

Publication
Dec 8, 2016

Grassroots Perspectives on Hate Speech, Race, and Inequality in Brazil and Colombia

Through interviews with leaders of civil society organizations (CSOs) and a review of existing literature, this study discusses efforts and interventions that CSOs have employed…

Publication
Dec 8, 2016

Preliminary Findings on Online Hate Speech and the Law in India

This briefing paper outlines preliminary issues that we noted while conducting a detailed study of hate speech laws in India. It teases out some of the major concerns that arise…

Publication
Dec 8, 2016

Understanding Harmful Speech Online

This paper offers reflections and observations on the state of research related to harmful speech online.

Publication
Dec 8, 2016

Defining Hate Speech

This essay seeks to review some of the various attempts to define hate speech, and pull from them a series of traits that can be used to frame hate speech with a higher degree of…

News
Sep 26, 2016

Translating Research for Action: Ideas and Examples for Informing Digital Policy

The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society is pleased to release this series of papers, which aims to build a bridge between academic research and policymaking in the…

Event
Apr 27, 2016 @ 9:00 AM

Digital Racist Speech in Latin America: Narratives and Counter-Narratives

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society hosts a conference to explore the dynamics of hate speech targeted toward Afro-descendent populations in Latin America, and the existing…

News
Nov 8, 2015

Berkman at the Internet Governance Forum

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multistakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance. The Berkman Center and our colleagues from the Network of…

News
Jun 1, 2015

Radio Berkman 217: Don't Hate the Player, Change the Game

In the latest podcast, we interview Jeffrey "Lyte" Lin, a neuroscientist and a game designer for Riot Games about how to tackle hate speech in online gaming.


Community 04

The Washington Post

GOP reacts to Trump search with threats and comparisons to ‘Gestapo’

Susan Benesch, faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, said when it comes to “dangerous speech ... what matters most is how…

Aug 9, 2022
AlJazeera

Why Elon Musk’s Twitter might be (more) lethal

Susan Benesch writes about how Elon Musk buying Twitter may be dangerous. “Dangerous speech forms a category because it is strikingly similar from one case to another, across…

May 5, 2022

Combating Hate Speech Through Counterspeech

What we can learn from cataloging extremely toxic speech on social media platforms and engaging with practitioners of “counterspeech”

Aug 9, 2019
Washington Post

An expert on ‘dangerous speech’ explains how Trump’s rhetoric and the recent spate of violence are and aren’t linked

On “dangerous speech” in the context of Donald Trump’s rhetoric

Oct 29, 2018

People 07

Team

Urs Gasser

Director

Amar Ashar

Affiliate

Robert Faris

Affiliate

Sandra Cortesi

Faculty Associate


Related Projects & Tools 01

Youth and Media

Youth and Media (YaM) encompasses an array of research, advocacy, and development initiatives around youth (age 12-18) and digital technology.