Responding to the Challenge of Cyberhate: Best Practices

BEST PRACTICES FOR RESPONDING TO CYBERHATE 

It is our hope that the following Best Practices will provide useful and important guideposts for all those willing to join in the effort to address the challenge of cyberhate. We urge members of the Internet Community, including providers, civil society, the legal community, and academia, to express their support for this effort and to publicize their own independent efforts to counter cyberhate.

PROVIDERS

1. Providers should take reports about cyberhate seriously, mindful of the fundamental principles of free expression, human dignity, personal safety and respect for the rule of law.

2. Providers that feature user-generated content should offer users a clear explanation of their approach to evaluating and resolving reports of hateful content, highlighting their relevant terms of service.

3. Providers should offer user-friendly mechanisms and procedures for reporting hateful content.

4. Providers should respond to user reports in a timely manner.

5. Providers should enforce whatever sanctions their terms of service contemplate in a consistent and fair manner.

THE INTERNET COMMUNITY

6. The Internet Community should work together to address the harmful consequences of online hatred.

7. The Internet Community should identify, implement and/or encourage effective strategies of counter-speech – including direct response; comedy and satire when appropriate; or simply setting the record straight.

8. The Internet Community should share knowledge and help develop educational materials and programs that encourage critical thinking in both proactive and reactive online activity.

9. The Internet Community should encourage other interested parties to help raise awareness of the problem of cyberhate and the urgent need to address it.

10. The Internet Community should welcome new thinking and new initiatives to promote a civil online environment.