Hate speech in the public online debate

This report describes the results of a study about hate speech conducted in 2016. The objective of the study is to gain insight into how often hate speech appears in connection with news dissemination and debate.

The report’s data consist of just under 3,000 comments taken from the Facebook pages of two major Danish news media, DR Nyheder and TV 2 Nyhederne. Based on these comments, we identify trends and patterns in an attempt to get an overview of the scope and nature of hate speech in a defined period.

We compare these findings with the results from a survey among Facebook users in Denmark, in which the respondents are asked about their experiences with regard to debates and the tone of debates on Facebook. Moreover, they are also asked whether their experiences affect their participation in the public online debate.

Moreover we review existing legislation in the area as well as the overall legal framework as stipulated in international human rights and Danish law.

Overall, in this study we examine the following:

• The scope of hate speech on the Facebook pages of two major Danish news media, DR Nyheder and TV 2 Nyhederne
• Topics that spur hate speech
• Who is responsible for hate speech?
• Who or what is the target of hate speech?
• The nature of hate speech
• The consequences of a harsh tone in the public debate on Facebook.