Death threats, on the face it, appear to be exactly the sort of content that an online platform ought to censor – or ‘moderate’, as the preferred and obscuring term has it. Surely it is impermissible to threaten someone’s life and surely it is appropriate for online spaces like Facebook – or now Meta – to remove such speech.
But what if the statement isn’t really an urge towards violence, nor a declaration of one’s intent to kill? Sometimes, when people make death threats, say to dictators, might that really be more of a political slogan or a form of critique? What if there is no intent behind the threat, and the target isn’t in danger? And ought online platforms care about such nuance when thinking about what to leave up and what to take down.
We are joined by Jeffrey Howard, who is Associate Professor in Political Philosophy and Public Policy, and director of the Digital Speech Lab, and Sarah Fisher, a Research Fellow.
Mentioned in this episode:
UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.
The UK Healthcare Crisis
Responding to Civilian Harm in Millitary Conflicts
Do Protests Affect What Politicians Say?
Settling Disputes Between Governments and Investors
Managing Diversity Amongst the EU Member States
The Battle for LGBT+ Rights
How Parliaments Question Prime Ministers
The Future of Power-Sharing in Northern Ireland
Improving Public Services
Russian Discourses of Sovereignty
Historical Research in Political Science
Climate Change Loss and Damage
'Acts of speech' and how people recieve them
The Domestic Politics of IMF Lending
The Politics of Migration
Fiscal Transparency And The Public Purse
Backyard Housing And The Dynamics Of Collective Action
Taking Offence
The State of US Politics
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free