Intersessional Meeting for the 75th Anniversary of the Genocide Convention

4th December 2023

Panel 1: The Use of Social Media Platforms to Amplify Hate Speech that could Lead to Genocide: Defining the Problem

Statement of Meezaan Center for Human Rights

Delivered by Sofya Losikova / GICJ

Thank you Mr. President,

As we gather here today for the intersessional meeting on the Genocide Convention, we are compelled to contemplate the changing landscape of human rights challenges. Our focus centres on the intersection of social media and hate speech, recognizing the urgent need to address the ramifications of online communication in the context of potential genocidal acts.

The digital era has granted unprecedented global connectivity, enabling instantaneous information sharing. However, this has led to a surge of hate speech on social media platforms, posing a significant threat to our fundamental rights, potentially fostering discrimination, deepening divisions, and, in extreme cases, contributing to acts of genocide.

In examining hate speech, it is vital to expand the definition beyond explicit calls for violence, including the subtle degradation of groups. Words that demean, widely disseminated through social media, can fatefully reinforce divisions along lines of ethnicity, religion, or nationality, providing a breeding ground for intolerance and, at its extreme, genocidal acts.

Crucially, social media is not a detached realm but amplifies and extends the impact of offline actions. Online hate speech can catalyse physical violence against marginalised groups, as illustrated by the plight of the Palestinian people. Conflict zones are globalised as we witness social media act as breeding grounds for hate speech, fueling real-world violence. Inflammatory content contributes to the dehumanisation of communities, perpetuating cycles of injustice and suffering. Disinformation campaigns intensify hostility, where false narratives on social media amplify real-world injustice against the Palestinian population.

Meezaan Center for Human Rights and Geneva International Centre for Justice call for comprehensive strategies to address the roots of hate speech. Precision in defining the problem, recognizing its consequences on vulnerable populations, and leveraging collective strength can pave the way for a world where the principles of the Convention are upheld, and the dignity of every individual is safeguarded.

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