Juno News - Jonathan Greenblatt says censorship not the answer to ＂hate speech＂

00:00:00.000 I'm here with Jonathan Greenblatt from the Anti-Defamation League.

00:00:04.140 In Canada and countries around the world, we hear about how online hate is one of the big menaces to society here,

00:00:09.800 but obviously, especially in an American context, First Amendment protections, constitutional freedoms.

00:00:14.660 So how should governments approach this, in your view?

00:00:17.780 I think government should approach social media like all traditional media.

00:00:21.360 So if in your mainstream media you have laws about libel, or you have regulations about slander or misinformation,

00:00:27.980 they should be applied equally and enforced regularly with respect to social media.

00:00:31.980 So it's actually shouldn't be considered very differently.

00:00:34.240 If a government is going to regulate hate speech, how should they define what that is?

00:00:38.900 I don't know that you can regulate hate speech, but you should make the companies liable for publishing liable.

00:00:43.980 It doesn't matter whether it's Facebook or the CBC.

00:00:48.260 So if the CBC is responsible for making sure that lies and whatnot isn't published or isn't broadcast,

00:00:56.420 the same thing should apply to Facebook in Canada.

00:00:58.760 The same thing should apply to every other social media in Canada.

00:01:01.720 You've obviously had a bit of a spat recently with Elon Musk and Twitter.

00:01:04.940 Is your view that this is just a market-based solution that needs to happen here?

00:01:09.040 Individuals can boycott them and that's that?

00:01:11.780 Well, I think individuals need to make their own decisions about what media they choose to use.

00:01:16.140 Brands need to make their own decisions about what media they choose to advertise.

00:01:19.600 But ultimately, governments need to make the decision about how they think the media supports the open society that they want.

00:01:28.160 Again, just so we're clear, I don't believe that you can censor hate speech.

00:01:31.480 I think hate speech is the price of free speech.

00:01:33.740 The trick is that the private companies have a responsibility as actors in the marketplace to behave responsibly.

00:01:40.920 And that often doesn't happen.

Juno News - January 15, 2024