Working paper: Transgressive transitions

New working paper by the Disinformation Project titled ‘Transgressive transitions’ outlines a measurable rise in both volume and tone of transphobia, as well as evidence of foreign interference in New Zealand online communities.

We study dangerous speech and ways to counteract it.

Dangerous Speech: A Practical Guide

People don’t commit violence against other groups - or even condone it - spontaneously. First they must be taught to see other people as pests, vermin, aliens, or threats. Malicious leaders often use the same types of rhetoric to do this, in myriad cultures, languages, countries, and historical periods. We call this Dangerous Speech. Violence might be prevented by making it less abundant or less convincing. We work to find the best ways to do this – while protecting freedom of expression.

Resources

When Can Compliments and Humor Be Considered Hate Speech? A Perspective From Target Groups in Portugal

Qualitative study by Cláudia Silva and Paula Carvalho that examines hate speech (HS) from the perspectives of the most representative minority communities in Portugal, namely Afro-descendants, Roma, and LGBTQ+.

Why They Do It: Counterspeech Theories of Change

People who do counterspeech almost universally want to reach audiences, not the people spreading harmful speech. Drawing on over 50 interviews with counterspeakers, this paper reports on four primary theories of change as counterspeakers describe them, and discusses the implications of this for researchers.

Blog + News

Julia Angwin Quotes DSP in New York Times Op Ed

In her recent op ed for the New York Times, Julia Angwin urges that “understanding the distinction between fear-inducing and hateful speech is crucial as we collectively grapple with how to govern global internet platforms.”

PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE OVERSIGHT BOARD’S “CAMBODIAN PRIME MINISTER” CASE

Executive Director of the Dangerous Speech Project Susan Benesch responds to the Oversight Board's March 16th call for public comments regarding an appeal to remove video of a speech by Cambodia's prime minister, Hun Sen from his official Facebook page.