Series of webinars on xenophobia and racism online

As technological, commercial and economic developments bring everyone closer together, racial and xenophobic hatred and related forms of intolerance continue to exist in our societies, and further proliferate in cyberspace. Acts of such nature constitute a violation of human rights and a threat to the rule of law and democratic stability, but also they open the door to terrorism, violent extremism and even genocide. Continued efforts and high vigilance are needed to build and maintain strong safeguards against both persisting and new forms of racism and intolerance.

The Council of Europe, already leading the fight against cybercrime and other crimes entailing electronic evidence thanks to the Convention on Cybercrime (2001), in 2003 introduced a protocol to extend its successful system of international co-operation to combat xenophobia and racism online. The First Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems was opened for signature on 28 January 2003.

In the context of the 20th anniversary of the First Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, a series of webinars on xenophobia and racism online is planned in the framework of the Councill of Europe's Octopus Project.

Webinar 1: Webinar on good practices and challenges in addressing xenophobia and racism committed online

The purpose of the first webinar was to encourage states and non-state actors to reflect on and share their experiences of addressing xenophobia and racism committed online, challenges faced, and ways of overcoming these challenges.

The following topics were discussed:

Specialised units for dealing with the problem of online hate speech and hate crime offences
Reporting mechanisms for unlawful content
Extending the scope of criminalisation
Cooperation and Harmonisation

Speakers

Nina Lichtner, Programme Manager, Octopus Project, Council of Europe
Jan Kralik, Programme Manager, Cybercrime Division, Council of Europe
Prof. Alexander Brown, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom
Patricia Rodríguez Lastras, Senior Prosecutor, Cybercrime Unit, General Prosecutor’s Office, Spain
Xavier Leonetti, Magistrate, Head of the Cybercrime Office, Ministry of Justice, France
Eric Meerkamper, Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
Milla Vidina, Policy Officer, EQUINET - European Network of Equality Bodies
Menno Ettema, Programme Manager Anti-Discrimination Department and Co-secretariat to former Expert Committee on Combating Hate Speech, Council of Europe
Melissa Garcia Blagitz, Federal Prosecution Service, Brazil
Jenna Omassi, Ofcom, United Kingdom
Martin Drechsler, Managing Director, FSM - Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Digital Media Service Providers
Jamie Brown, Secretariat to the Committee of Experts on Hate Crime, Council of Europe
Alexander Seger, Executive Secretary of Cybercrime Convention Committee and Head of Cybercrime Division, Council of Europe

Date & hour

15 December 2022 / 14h00-16h15 CET

Duration & Language

2h15min / English

Participants

Participation in the webinar was open to representatives from Parties to the Convention on Cybercrime and Observers to the Cybercrime Convention Committee, but also other specially invited stakeholders.

Agenda

Webinar 2: Strengthening the capacities of criminal justice authorities on addressing xenophobia and racism committed online

The purpose of the second webinar was to underline the relevance of the Protocol and to encourage participants to reflect on and share their experiences of (1) navigating the intersection of freedom of expression and an effective fight against acts of a racist and xenophobic nature online (2) addressing the challenges of domestic law faced when considering becoming a Party to the Protocol and implementing it (3) taking measures that are complementary to the implementation of the Protocol.