Page 4 - Hate Speech

EU warns Elon Musk to beef up Twitter controls ahead of new rules

A top European Union official warned Elon Musk on Wednesday that Twitter needs to beef up measures to protect users from hate speech, misinformation and other harmful content to avoid violating new rules that threaten tech giants with big fines or even a ban in the 27-nation bloc. Thierry Breton, the EU's commissioner for digital policy, told the billionaire Tesla CEO that the social media platform will have to significantly increase efforts to comply with the new rules, known as the Digital Services Act, set to take effect next year. The two held a video call to discuss Twitter's preparedness for the law, which will require tech companies to better police their platforms for material that, for instance, promotes terrorism, child sexual abuse, hate speech and commercial scams. It's part of a new digital rulebook that has made Europe the global leader in the push to rein in the power of social media companies, potentially setting up a clash with Musk's vision for a more unfettered ...

SP's Azam Khan disqualified as member of UP Assembly after hate speech case

The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly secretariat on Friday announced the disqualification of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan from the House, a day after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case. Principal Secretary of the UP Legislative Assembly Pradeep Dubey told PTI that the Assembly Secretariat declared the Rampur Sadar Assembly seat as vacant. "A vacancy has been declared by the UP Vidhan Sabha Secretariat consequent upon the disqualification due to the judgment passed by the court," he said. The Rampur MP-MLA court had on Thursday convicted Khan in a 2019 hate speech case and had sentenced him to three years of imprisonment. The Representation of the People Act says that anyone sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time in jail.

SP's Azam Khan might lose MLA seat after getting three-year sentence

SP leader Azam Khan, who has been sentenced to three years in prison in a 2019 hate speech case, might lose his MLA seat if his eventual imprisonment term is longer than two years

SP MLA Azam Khan gets 3-yr jail term in hate speech case, granted bail

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 6,000 on the Rampur MLA

Take suo motu action against hate speeches, register cases immediately: SC

Calling hate speeches a "very serious issue", the Supreme Court Friday directed Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to promptly register criminal cases against the culprits without waiting for a complaint to be filed. It warned any delay on the part of the administration will invite the court's contempt. A bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy also issued notices to the two state governments on a petition filed by a man named Shaheen Abdullah. It said action should be taken against those making hate speeches irrespective of their religion to preserve the secular fabric of the nation.

Allahabad HC reserves order on plea against UP CM for Alwar speech in 2018

The Allahabad High Court has reserved its judgment on a petition seeking direction from the court for registering a complaint against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

Visual media has devastating effect, no one has time to read newspapers: SC

The Supreme Court Wednesday said it made reference to TV news channels while hearing pleas related to hate speech because visual media has got a "devastating" effect and nobody cares what is written in newspapers as people are bereft of time to read. A bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy refused to implead the Press Council of India and the National Association of Broadcasters as parties to a batch of petitions related to hate speech and rumour-mongering. "We made reference to TV news channels because the hate speech is through the visual medium. If somebody writes something in newspapers, nobody reads it nowadays. Nobody has time to read newspapers. "Visual media has got the power which has been recognised right from cases relating to censorship. The difference between visual media and print media is so clear. It (visual media) has got a devastating effect," the bench observed. The remarks came after advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who is one of the petitioners in the

SC wants to know if govt wants to bring law to curb hate speeches on TV

Voicing displeasure over hate speech on TV news channels, the Supreme Court Wednesday wanted it know why the government was a "mute spectator" and whether it intends to enact a law to curb it, as recommended by the Law Commission. Noting that the role of the anchor is important during TV debates, the court said it's the duty of the anchor to prevent hate speeches from happening. A bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy said there needs to be an institutional mechanism to deal with hate speech. The role of anchor (in TV debates) is very important. These speeches on mainstream media or social media that is unregulated. Mainstream TV channels still hold sway. The role of anchor is critical and it's their duty to see that hate speech doesn't occurMany a time those who want to speak are muted, the bench observed. The top court said there should be a synchronised method to deal with the issue of hate speech and that the country needs to be a responsible democracy where there is

BJP leader files complaint with Om Birla against DMK's Raja on hate speech

A senior Tamil Nadu BJP functionary on Tuesday said he has filed a complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against A Raja for his alleged hate speech against Hindus and wanted the DMK MP to be refrained from contesting in future elections. CTR Nirmal Kumar, State President IT and Social Media, wanted action against Raja for his "unethical" act. "Complaint filed as affidavit against @dmk_raja before honorable @loksabhaspeaker under rule 233A(4) conduct of Business In Lok Sabha, for unethical act of hate speech against Hindus, Shri A.Raja should be refrain(ed) from contesting any elections in future," Kumar said in a tweet. He also uploaded the complaint filed with the LS Speaker. Raja, the DMK deputy general secretary had recently stoked a controversy over his Shudra remark and drew the BJP's ire with the saffron party accusing him of spewing hatred against a community to appease others. Shudras, the Nilgiris MP claimed, were insulted in Manusmrithi and denied equality, educati

Indian-origin Pixstory ties up with Arsenal to promote social media ethics

European football major is third club to join platform, says partnership will focus on reducing abuse, hate speech in online fan conversations

Country can plunge into civil war if hate allowed to spread, says CM Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday warned the country could plunge into civil war if hatred over caste and religion is allowed to spread. Addressing a press conference here ahead of the launch of the party's 3,570-km 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, Gehlot also said there was a need to give the slogan of 'Bharat Jodo' as an atmosphere had been created in the country, for the first time since Independence, that there is hate, tension and violence. The whole country is concerned about this, he said. "We have been requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi that you should appeal that there be love, brotherhood and harmony among people and violence will not be tolerated. He has not done so till now," Gehlot said. "There is so much polarisation, hate has been created in the name of caste and religion. If this is not controlled, it can go towards civil war," he said. He urged them to act on the message of the Bharat Jodo Yatra of .

SC dismisses plea against HC order in hate speech case involving UP CM Yogi

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea challenging the Allahabad High Court judgement in a matter pertaining to the alleged hate speech of 2007 involving Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said it is not necessary to go into issue of denial of sanction in this case. The legal questions of sanction will be kept open to be dealt with an appropriate case, the bench also comprising Justices Hima Kohli and C T Ravikumar said. In its verdict delivered in February 2018, the high court had said it has not found any procedural error either in the conduct of an investigation or in the decision-making process of refusal to grant sanction to prosecute. An FIR was lodged at a police station in Gorakhpur against Adityanath, then a Member of Parliament, and several others on alleged charges of promoting enmity between two groups. It was alleged that several incidents of violence were reported in Gorakhpur on that day after an alleged ha

Hate speech: Mobile data services suspended for 5 days in entire Manipur

According to the order, some anti-social elements are using social media to transmit hate speeches inciting the passions of the public

130 hate news cases reported between 2019 LS election, Assembly polls 2022

A total of 130 cases of "hate news" were reported to social media platforms between the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the latest round of Assembly polls in five states held earlier this year

SC to hear Mohammad Zubair plea seeking protection from arrest today

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari on Thursday agreed to list the matter for hearing on Friday subject to assignment by the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana

Without conviction: Pendencies in hate speech cases have been rising

Between 2017 and 2020, the number of cases filed under Section 153A pending trial in courts doubled from 1,435 to 2,869. There was a 147 per cent jump in cases pending for 1-3 years

Twitter handle that flagged Alt News' Mohd Zubair's 2018 tweet deleted

Mohammed Zubair of Alt News, 33, is currently in police custody and is being questioned over one of his objectionable tweets which he posted in 2018

500% rise in cases filed under hate-speech law in seven years: NCRB

While 2014 (323 cases) saw the least number of cases in seven years, the year 2020, with 1,804 cases, saw the highest

Hate speeches by elected representatives warrant stringent action: Delhi HC

The judge said elected leaders in a democracy owe their responsibility not only to their electorate but also towards the society and nation as a whole and ultimately to the Constitution.

Delhi Police to issue notices to social media entities over hate remarks

The Delhi Police said it will begin issuing notices to social media entities in connection with the cases it had registered against 31 people, including AIMIM chief Owaisi