Juno News - January 19, 2024


Free speech is on the Davos agenda – because the elites want to curb it


Episode Stats

Length

5 minutes

Words per Minute

164.93233

Word Count

914

Sentence Count

66


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Joining you from the streets of Davos, day four of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.
00:00:04.840 Ideas being discussed among the 2,800 delegates here, top of their field in politics, media, the world of academia,
00:00:12.380 and much of the corporate world as well represented here.
00:00:15.880 One of the themes that's come up in the past, not as much as things like net zero, has been freedom of expression.
00:00:22.380 Now we know that freedom of expression is under threat.
00:00:25.160 We have in a Canadian context numerous government policies that are threatening it.
00:00:28.840 We have in Ireland a so-called hate speech law that will send a massive chill on free speech.
00:00:34.780 And in Australia, you have much of the same, policing speech online and offline.
00:00:40.120 The reason I bring this up is because a couple of years ago, you may recall Julie Inman-Grant,
00:00:44.400 who's Australia's e-safety commissioner, saying this.
00:00:47.960 We are finding ourselves in a place where we have increasing polarization everywhere.
00:00:54.560 And everything feels binary when it doesn't need to be.
00:00:57.460 So I think we're going to have to think about a recalibration of a whole range of human rights that are playing out online.
00:01:03.400 You know, from freedom of speech to the freedom to, you know, to be free from online violence.
00:01:09.480 Or the right of data protection to the right to child dignity.
00:01:14.300 She called for a recalibration of freedom of speech.
00:01:17.920 Now, you may wonder what that means.
00:01:19.720 I was very curious myself.
00:01:21.460 In fact, that question has been lingering with me for the last year and a half.
00:01:25.100 So when I stumbled upon Julie Inman-Grant this morning, still in that position in Australia,
00:01:30.000 although she is American, as you'll know in a second, I thought I would get some clarity.
00:01:34.860 Julie, Andrew Lawton with True North in Canada.
00:01:37.000 I'm just wondering, when you talked about recalibrating free speech a couple of years ago, what were you referring to?
00:01:42.000 I am talking about balancing a range of rights that everyone has a right to online.
00:01:49.060 Where do you think freedom of expression online should be limited?
00:01:53.460 When it undermines other people's freedom of expression and causes significant harm.
00:01:59.560 But that's all I have to say.
00:02:00.500 But that's a subjective term.
00:02:01.740 Who's to adjudicate what harm is?
00:02:03.340 Is it governments?
00:02:03.820 Well, actually, it is the government drew the line on what the threshold was.
00:02:07.880 And an investigation is taken when somebody reports to a platform.
00:02:14.220 When it doesn't conform to their terms of service, they come to us to adjudicate.
00:02:19.760 Do you believe that the First Amendment has too high a bar for the online era?
00:02:23.320 The First Amendment does not apply in Australia.
00:02:26.640 I know, but you're an American.
00:02:27.700 So I thought in general, as a standard for freedom of expression, do you think that's too high of one?
00:02:31.620 No, I don't apply that.
00:02:33.960 I apply the laws of the Australian government that the parliamentarians provided and the thresholds they provided.
00:02:40.020 And it's measured against those thresholds.
00:02:41.860 Thank you.
00:02:42.400 So as you hear there, the way that she approaches this is about how to regulate and how to justify those regulations.
00:02:49.460 Now, there are a number of people in the artistic space represented at Davos this year.
00:02:53.500 One is the legendary singer and songwriter and producer Niall Rogers.
00:02:58.700 Also, Will.i.am, of whom I happen to be a great fan.
00:03:01.820 And he was able to stop and share a few moments.
00:03:04.260 And I asked him as an artist if he feels freedom of expression is under threat.
00:03:08.160 Will, I'm just wondering as an artist what you think of the state of freedom of expression right now?
00:03:12.320 You still have it.
00:03:14.440 Do you feel it's under threat?
00:03:16.860 No.
00:03:17.440 When has it?
00:03:18.020 Why would it be?
00:03:19.240 Well, countries don't always have the same commitment to free speech.
00:03:21.600 If you feel happy, you've answered my question.
00:03:23.080 I just wanted to get your thoughts on it as an artist.
00:03:32.500 I think I'm happy that I live in the country that I'm from.
00:03:37.020 I think everybody should have the right to express themselves without hurting other folks.
00:03:45.100 You still have to be mindful we all live on the same planet.
00:03:48.660 Should they be censored if they do hurt other folks, their feelings?
00:03:54.540 No, no, no.
00:03:56.340 You want to inspire.
00:04:00.780 But if I hurt your feelings, should I be censored?
00:04:04.820 Depends if you were...
00:04:07.180 It depends if you had malicious...
00:04:08.660 If your intent was to hurt me on purpose, then you need to up your love, and you shouldn't...
00:04:18.140 Why do you want to exist in a world where you're purposely trying to hurt somebody's feelings?
00:04:21.820 Now, if things are taken out of context, or I...
00:04:25.720 No, I don't believe in censorship.
00:04:28.260 What I do believe in is trying your hardest to inspire and uplift people.
00:04:33.440 Obviously, I disagree with his answer there, but he was speaking to his own feelings.
00:04:38.580 He does not feel there is a threat.
00:04:40.940 Now, why that's so important is because people in the World Economic Forum bubble
00:04:44.520 don't actually view there as being a problem here.
00:04:47.960 And their focus, not Will.i.am, but certainly the Julie Inman grants,
00:04:51.880 on ways they can curb and not protect freedom of expression.
00:04:55.560 When they say it's on the radar, they mean that for all the wrong reasons.
00:04:59.280 For True North from Davos, I'm Andrew Lutton.
00:05:03.440 When they say it's on a landing page, then you will Renee Lutton.
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