Thread by @ppforumca

Today we release 'Poisoning Democracy: How Canada Can Address Harmful Speech Online' by @cjtenove, @heiditworek and @mckelveyf offering 3 solutions to online hate, harassment and threats.

Read the report - ppforum.ca/publications/p…

#cdnmedia #cdnpoli #harmfulspeech

The speed, scale & global reach of harmful speech online cannot be addressed by current regulatory approaches. And this speech, in its many forms, undermines the quality of democratic participation.

It excludes vulnerable people from politics and encourages social tension. 🤬

So what can we do? Let’s walk through the 3 recommendations in this report:

#1 calls for greater cooperation between Canadian gov, police, civil society & online companies. We already moderate social media & enforce community standards. We can respond better if respond together.

#2. A Moderation Standards Council. Online companies do content moderation, says @TarletonG, but we’re just beginning to learn how says Sarah T. Roberts (@ubiquity75). Recommendation # 2 calls for a Council to publicize moderation practices and help coordinate across platforms.

Inspired by groups like @citizenlab, @datasociety and @polbots, recommendation #3 calls for better research, monitoring and #civictech to empower civil society groups.

Thanks to @sshrc_crsh, @csdc_cecd, @ubc, @concordia for the support in producing this report. You can read the full report at the @ppforumca website:
ppforum.ca/publications/p…

Last word - Harmful speech is troubling to Canada. We hope our report begins a difficult conversation about ways to make harmful speech less prevalent and our democratic debate more inclusive. Join the convo #harmfulspeech

See the full summary graphic:
ppforum.ca/articles/3-way…