Online Hate Speech, Offline Harm, and the Case for Content Moderation

Key Messages:Hateful online activity not only reflects underlying tensions but affects realworld behaviorModeration policies should be based on existing laws to avoid new speech restrictions and dismiss claims of digital censorshipGermany’s NetzDG regulation had instant online and offline effects, disrupting the channels that turn hatred into violenceRemoving posts may distort online speech, but a “softening” of hateful expression through generative language models could reduce toxicity while minimizing distortionsModeration rules must be clear and narrow to limit compliance costs without entrenching incumbents