The UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect unveiled a groundbreaking methodology aimed at monitoring social media platforms on Friday. The initiative, backed by the UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations, marks a strategic effort to address hate speech while respecting international human rights standards.

Titled “A Comprehensive Methodology for Monitoring Social Media to Address and Counter Online Hate Speech,” this new framework proposes a “common approach” for tracking hate speech online, with the goal to standardize monitoring processes and integrate them into ongoing UN projects. It aligns with the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, providing tools and examples for UN entities and other involved parties to better identify and monitor problematic content.

The methodology encompasses best practices from academia, tech firms, governments, the UN, and NGOs. It proposes a three-step process for effective online hate speech monitoring: real-time data collection and parsing, content classification, and analysis of patterns and trends. This framework can benefit both manual and AI-driven monitoring projects.

This initiative expands upon earlier work such as the guide released in July 2023, “Countering and addressing online hate speech: A guide for policy makers and practitioners.” It highlights areas needing further research to bolster global efforts against online hate speech. Observing how hate speech incited violence in history, from The Holocaust to Rwanda, Special Adviser Alice Wairimu Nderitu noted that social media accelerates the spread of hate speech but also offers tools to counter it.

Nderitu also expressed hope that the new methodology will invigorate collective actions against online hate:

This methodology can strengthen our efforts to combat online hate speech in ways that also protect fundamental rights like freedom of opinion, expression, non-discrimination, and equality. We have seen how unchecked hate speech can lead to violence and serious international crimes, including genocide. With online platforms accelerating the spread of hate, enhanced monitoring is essential to protect human dignity.

A thematic panel featuring experts such as Jonathan Zigrand, Eliska Pirkova, Gabrielle Guillemin, and Liz Woolery emphasized that effective hate speech monitoring must be context-specific and inclusive of both grassroots and international partnerships, with the ultimate aim of safeguarding at-risk groups from violence.

Nderitu warned in June that hate speech continues to significantly threaten global peace and security. It also frequently targets the most vulnerable in society. The UN first launched its Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech in 2019, recognizing “that over the past 75 years, hate speech has been a precursor to atrocity crimes.”