UK Commission for Countering Extremism: From Safety Valve to Pressure Cooker

The UK government’s Commission for Countering Extremism commissioned Jacob Mchangama to contribute a piece to a collection of essays called “Countering extremism: defending free speech.” Jacob’s contribution was called, “From safety valve to pressure cooker: when silencing speech fuels extremism.” Read an excerpt below: Introduction: Free Expression as a Safety Valve In 1964, Nelson Mandela […]

CELE: Moderating Hate or Moderating Rights? The Paradox of the European Approach to Online Hate Speech and Platform Liability

Abstract This paper critically assesses the European approach to regulating online hate speech through platform liability frameworks, focusing on Germany’s Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) and the European Union’s Digital Services Act. It argues that these laws, while aiming to curb online harm, risk infringing on the right to freedom of expression and non-discrimination by delegating […]

The Future of Free Speech Responds to Call for Evidence on the ‘European Democracy Shield’

By Alexander Hohlfeld In her speech at the 2024 Copenhagen Democracy Summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen argued that Europe should not “fight the authoritarians or the extremes at their own game,” but instead “fight them by offering a positive vision of the future” that “protects what we hold dear – our democracy and our […]

Background report: Empowering Audiences – Against Misinformation Through ‘Prebunking’

Download the report   Author: Michael Bang Petersen, Professor of Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark  Executive Summary Exposure to misinformation can change people’s views but often the impact is limited because specific attitudes are often rooted in larger worldviews that are difficult to change. Nonetheless, exposure to misinformation can have a number of other adverse […]