Striking the balance: Global frameworks for regulating internet content and combating hate speech in a borderless digital era
Keywords:
Freedom of speech, Hate speech, Digital eraAbstract
The rapid proliferation of internet content and the growing prevalence of hate speech in digital spaces present unprecedented global governance challenges, complicating efforts to regulate harmful content while upholding the fundamental right to free expression. This research critically examines emerging frameworks, including international legal instruments, regional strategies, and voluntary corporate standards, to identify gaps, inconsistencies, and areas for improved enforcement and cooperation across jurisdictions. Key findings reveal a fragmented and inconsistent regulatory landscape, exacerbated by varying definitions of hate speech, leading to discrepancies in enforcement and outcomes, and highlighting the tension between international norms and domestic policies. Despite these challenges, promising advancements like the European Union’s Digital Services Act offer valuable lessons for harmonizing global regulatory efforts. The study, employing a doctrinal legal research methodology to analyze existing frameworks and judicial decisions, advocates for clearer hate speech definitions, robust safeguards against overreach, and enhanced cross-border collaboration among states, international organizations, technology companies, and civil society, to achieve a more equitable, consistent, and effective global approach to internet governance that balances free speech with necessary regulation.
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