Canada is mulling a new approach to monitoring and curtailing hate speech online. Although a reasonable and prudent proposition at first glance, there is a real risk such a move could undermine our democracy. Aside from the logistical difficulties that come with enforcement, curtailment of speech can produce unintended consequences that can be more divisive than hate speech itself.
The move was born of the Christchurch Call to Action, a pledge organized in response to the mass shooting in Christchurch in March that claimed the lives of 51 people. The global pledge calls for governments and online service providers to make voluntary commitments to prevent people from using the internet to promote and sensationalize extremism or acts of terrorism.
