Hate Speech vs Freedom of Speech

Where is the boundary between freedom of speech and hate speech? How is stereotyping connected to hate speech? Learn how hate speech can foster animosity and how to counteract it.

How to Report Hate Speech Online

If you ever see others spreading unacceptable content, do not pass it by. Report it. 

Follow the links to find out how to report hate speech on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.

Estonia has mechanisms in place for reporting cyber-bullying through their KiVa anti-bullying platform, and hate crimes should always be reported to the police. Estonia also has a web police unit. If hate speech or troublesome content appears in the media, and is about you or concerns you directly, you can file a complaint with the Estonian Press Council which evaluates whether the material published is in accordance with journalistic ethics, however, the Council cannot make anyone remove the problematic content.

Latvia has several ways to report hate speech. The State Police can be contacted for instances of social hatred or hate crimes, the Security Police for national, racial, or ethnic hate speech, and the Latvian Centre for Human Rights for reporting hate speech or hate crimes of any kind—they assist in assessing the potential crime and offer legal assistance, if needed.  There is also an app for State Police where one can report crimes committed online.

In Lithuania, hate speech can be reported to the NGO Mano Teises for legal assistance, or to the Office of the Inspector of Journalistic Ethics that monitors online hate speech and can conduct non-criminal investigations, including issuing fines. One may also report to the National LGBT Association LGL for LGBT+ specific crimes and free legal assistance, or directly to State Police. The resource Nepyka has resources on different types of hate speech/crimes, how to determine if hate speech has occurred, and how to report.

Quiz: Inclusive Language

Inclusive Language

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Thank you for the answers!

If you want to, you can try doing the quiz again or proceed with the course.

Thank you for the answers!

If you want to, you can try doing the quiz again or proceed with the course.

Thank you for the answers!

If you want to, you can try doing the quiz again or proceed with the course.

Amplify/ˈæmplɪfaɪ/to increase something in strength, especially sound; to add details to a story, statement, etc.
Animosity/ˌænɪˈmɒsəti/a strong feeling of opposition, anger or hatred
Assess/əˈses/to make a judgement about the nature or quality of somebody/something
Asylum seeker/əˈsaɪləm siːkə(r)/a person who has been forced to leave their own country because they are in danger and who arrives in another country asking to be allowed to stay there
Counteract/ˌkaʊntərˈækt/to do something to reduce or prevent the bad or harmful effects of something
Deliberately/dɪˈlɪbərətli/done in a way that was planned, not by chance
Diminish/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/to become or to make something become smaller, weaker, etc.; to make somebody/something seem less important than they really are
Disseminate/dɪˈsemɪneɪt/to spread information, knowledge, etc. so that it reaches many people
Expression/ɪkˈspreʃn/Things that people say, write or do in order to show their feelings, opinions and ideas  Freedom of expression = freedom to say what you think
Foster/ˈfɒstə(r)/to encourage something to develop
Frontier/ˈfrʌntɪə(r)/a line that separates two countries, etc.; the land near this line
Gender/ˈdʒendə(r)/the fact of being male or female, especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences, rather than differences in biology; members of a particular gender as a group
Impart/ɪmˈpɑːt/to pass information, knowledge, etc. to other people
Insult/ˈɪnsʌlt/a remark or an action that is said or done in order to offend somebody
Massacre/ˈmæsəkə(r)/the killing of a large number of people especially in a cruel way
Nickname/ˈnɪkneɪm/an informal, often humorous, name for a person that is connected with their real name, their personality or appearance, or with something they have done
Quarrel/ˈkwɒrəl/an angry argument or disagreement between people, often about a personal matter; (especially in negative sentences) a reason for complaining about somebody/something or for disagreeing with somebody/something
Quote/kwəʊt/to repeat the exact words that another person has said or written
Red line/ˌred ˈlaɪn/an issue or a demand that one person or group refuses to change their opinion about during a disagreement or negotiations
Stereotype/ˈsteriətaɪp/a fixed idea or image that many people have of a particular type of person or thing, but which is often not true in reality
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