A new approach to countering the extremism of the radical right is desperately needed. This month, the Commission for Countering Extremism published the findings from its public consultation. Seeking to better understand what extremism is, how it finds form, and most importantly what can be done about it, the commission visited more than 20 towns and… Continue reading “Hateful extremism and the radical right: we need new definitions”
The UK education system has, since the statutorisation of Prevent, been legally obliged to both nurture ‘resilient’ students and refer those whose resilience has been or is at risk of being eroded. Resilience being understood as the ability to ‘bounce back from adversity’, or in other words, being able to both reject and remove oneself… Continue reading “A Case for Making Students Resilient to the Far-Right?”
8chan’s ability to bring the worst of the human mind out into the open drives its traffic. 8chan is one of the most notorious message boards on the internet. Its contents include subjects ranging from extremist political ideas to extreme pornography. Unsurprisingly, it stands by the slogan “Embrace Infamy.” Visitors receive an equally intriguing salutation:… Continue reading “8chan: Where the Appalling Becomes Appealing”
These controversies persist because Morrissey has been able to continue to make statements in interviews, and to publicise even more on his website. On the iconic Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival this year, The Killer’s lead singer Brandon Flowers was joined by The Smiths Johnny Marr for a rendition of ‘This Charming Man.’ In a… Continue reading “Cancel Morrissey? – controversy over music and free speech”
Prioritising free speech above the harms that extreme speech may cause has dominated the moderation strategies of social media platforms. Note: This piece was originally published at Scroll.in as part of a series on Extreme Speech Online, edited by Sahana Udupa, Elonnai Hickok, and Edward Anderson. The author thanks organisers of a workshop in… Continue reading “Debate over regulating right-wing extreme speech online must shift to harms such speech can cause”
If we get it right, machine-learning could be useful in identifying hateful networks and building a complete picture of white extremist ecosystems as they emerge. In 25 April 2019, Vice Motherboard journalists Joseph Cox and Jason Koebler reported that during a recent Twitter company meeting a comment was made that: Twitter hasn’t taken the same… Continue reading “Content moderation and censorship: can we handle a double standard?”
In banning the far right from its platform, Facebook acted like a responsible media provider. In April, Facebook announced its decision to “ban” 12 UK-based individuals and organizations linked to the radical right. Arguing that each sought to “spread hate,” Facebook explained that the decision was made on the basis that all were “individuals and organisations who… Continue reading “In Defense of Facebook’s “Ban” of the Far Right’s Dirty Dozen”
Countering five common myths promoted by the radical right, from anti-semitic conspiracy theories to political correctness. Britain, as a liberal democracy, clearly has free speech. Yet, there is a distinction between people using free speech to express themselves and inciting hatred and violence to others. The latter is something which governments have every right to… Continue reading “Radical-right narratives and how to counter them”
On March 28th 2019, the American University School of Education and PEN America hosted the 2019 Global Education Forum, Hate Comes to Campus. Co-sponsored by the Center for Analysis of the Radical Right and Rantt Media, the forum brought together experts and students for an afternoon of discussion on the topics of free speech, campus… Continue reading “A Report From the 2019 Global Education Forum: Hate Comes to Campus”
Is there really a new wave of anti-Semitism sweeping the United States? At first glance the answer appears to be in the affirmative. There’s certainly substantial – though fragmentary – evidence to support this response. Here are some manifestations of hatred toward Jewish people that confirm the existence of such a wave. Exhibit ‘A’ is… Continue reading “The New Wave of Anti-Semitism in America”