Free Speech – A History from Socrates to Social Media

Today Jacob Mchangama’s new book Free Speech – A History from Socrates to Social Media is published The book is published by the American Basic Books publisher and can be purchased as a physical book, e-book and audiobook. If you want to follow reviews, interviews, articles, events and podcasts in connection with the release, keep […]

A Framework of First Reference – Decoding a Human Rights Approach to content moderation on social media

A Framework of First Reference – Decoding a Human Rights Approach to content moderation on social media SUMMARY 4.66 billion people have Internet access, and 4.20 billion are active social media users. Despite the unprecedented scale and ease with which information and opinions are shared globally, Internet freedom is seen more and more as both […]

Human Rights Law Review: Hate Speech and the European Court of Human Rights: Whatever Happened to the Right to Offend, Shock or Disturb?

Abstract In Handyside v. The United Kingdom, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held that the right to freedom of expression, as provided for in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights protects not only expressions that are favorably received but also those that ‘offend, shock or disturb’. 1 Yet, the Court has since developed […]

Who Cares about Free Speech? – Findings From a Global Survey of Free Speech

For immediate release: A new survey reveals that most people and nations strongly support free speech in principle but have reservations in practice. A global survey “Who Cares about Free Speech?” has been conducted by YouGov for the legal think tank Justitia, which asks citizens in 33 countries questions about their attitude towards free speech […]

Call for papers: Hate Speech vs. Free Speech

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law Guest Editors: Jacob Mchangama, Executive Director, Justitia (Denmark), Executive Director of the Future of Free Speech. Natalie Alkiviadou, Senior Research Fellow, Justitia (Denmark) & The Future of Free Speech Scope of our Special Issue: Opinions, facts, truth, and impossibility are continuously being expressed through languages and other semiotic […]

Article – The Legal Regulation of Hate Speech: The United Nations Framework as the Common Denominator for Europe and Asia

Published in the European-Asian Journal of Law and Governance (vol.10) Introduction Hate speech is a threat to the proper functioning of a democratic society and a damning force to central values such as respect and solidarity. It harms us on an interpersonal, community and societal levels and is “deeply rooted in the ideologies of racism, […]

Rushing to Judgment: Are Short Mandatory Takedown Limits for Online Hate Speech Compatible with The Freedom of Expression?

Rushing to Judgment: Are Short Mandatory Takedown Limits for Online Hate Speech Compatible with The Freedom of Expression? For the first time in human history, ordinary people have been given the ability to publicly share and access information instantly and globally through social media without the mediation of traditional gatekeepers such as newspaper editors or […]