Paradigm Initiative urges tech giants to combat hate speech online.

In the statement, PIN’s Partnerships and Engagements Officer, Bridgette Ndlovu, regretted that: “Hate speech online is a direct attack on the dignity and safety of individuals”.

“We urge technology companies to commit to transparent and effective content moderation practices, especially in the age of Artificial Intelligence. We urge technology companies to prioritize human rights in their operations,” Ndlovu added. 

The alarming spread of hate speech online, PIN stated, threatens human rights and democratic values. 

The organisation’s latest Londa report, it should be said, notes that as digital platforms continue to grow, governments globally face the difficult task of enacting laws that safeguard individuals from harmful content, such as hate speech, misinformation, and online harassment, while upholding the fundamental right to free speech. 

The delicate tension, PIN stated, reflects broader global discussions about the role of government in effectively regulating digital spaces.

It added that governments enacting hate speech laws should refrain from arbitrary arrests and detentions of human rights defenders on charges of unlawful assembly, espionage, hate speech, and sedition. 

Uphold freedoms, not stifle legitimate speech

PIN noted that efforts to counter hate speech should uphold freedoms of expression and not stifle legitimate speech.

The organisation, through the statement, calls on tech companies to “invest equitably in non-English content moderation across the Global South to integrate local nuances, increase transparency in government content takedown requests to ensure requests do not infringe on the right to free expression online”.

It also urges tech companies to “enhance digital literacy, particularly in under-served regions, to ensure safe online practices” as well as “conduct human rights due diligence to identify the platform use risks and take steps to mitigate such risks, in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”. 

PIN's 2024 Londa report, it should be recalled, documents that hate speech online is prevalent, with countries such as Angola making at least 25 content removal requests related to hate speech, harassment, and political misinformation. 

Overall, PIN notes that hate speech has contributed to incitement of violence, exacerbated ethnic tensions, targeting vulnerable and marginalized communities, including women, minorities and in some instances, foreigners. 

PIN recalled that in Nigeria, in 2018, a Facebook post which showed a massacre in the Plateau state was viewed over 11,000 times, resulting in ethnic conflicts that led to the killing of citizens. In South Africa, research documents that poor content moderation practices have increased hate speech. 

At an international level, PIN joined other civil society organizations early in the year to condemn tech company policy changes , which are likely to have an impact on hate speech and information disorders. In India, during elections , hate speech was prevalent. 

In Ethiopia, in 2021, hate speech and disinformation resulted in the killing of an Ethiopian citizen after a Facebook post falsely implicated him in a scandal. Hate speech online fuels conflict and hinders progress towards sustainable development and peace in the Global South. 

PIN observes the increasing sophistication of actors spreading hate speech, often leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to maximize reach and impact whereas content moderation often falls short, especially for non-English content.

About PIN

Paradigm Initiative (PIN) connects under-served young Africans with digital opportunities and ensures digital rights for all. PIN worked in communities across Nigeria since 2007 and across Africa since 2017, building experience, community trust, and an organizational culture that positions it as a leading non-governmental organization in ICT for Development and digital rights on the continent.

PIN promotes a rights-respecting continent through its team in subregional offices in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 

PIN’s interventions are spread across more than 27 African countries. It pushes for an Internet that is open, accessible, and affordable to all.

PIN’s programs include a Life Skills, ICTs, Financial Literacy, and Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Training Program, a digital readiness workshop for youth, and a Life at Schools Club Program. PIN has also built online platforms such as Ayeta and Ripoti that educate and serve as safe spaces for reporting digital rights violations.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3478 of Thursday June 19, 2025