Newsroom - Online hate speech and hate crime
Regional workshop on the introduction of the First Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, on Xenophobia and Racism
On 15 April 2025, the CyberSouth+ project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe implemented by the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC), organised an online regional workshop on the First Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime,...
Council of Europe's No Hate Speech Week 2025 - Call for participants
The Call for Participants is launched for the No Hate Speech Week 2025, with a deadline for 31 March 2025. The No Hate Speech Week, held 18-20 June 2025, is organised around the International Day for Countering Hate Speech proclaimed by the UN on 18 June. This regional event aims to take stock...
Cyberviolence Resource presented during the first No Hate Speech Week organised in Strasbourg
Marked for the first time in 2022, the UN International Day for Countering Hate Speech (18 June) is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the risks posed by hate speech to human rights, democracy and the rule of law and take collective action to implement the principles of the Council of...
New Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime
On 7 May 2024, a new Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member States on combating hate crime (CM/Rec(2024)4) was adopted. Among key points, the document mentions that Council of Europe member States should take all necessary measures and dedicate sufficient resources to prevent and...
Cybercrime and freedom of expression discussion paper now available in FR and ES
The recent discussion paper on cybercrime and freedom of expression prepared under the Octopus Project and published in December 2023, is now available in French and Spanish. This paper aims at supporting policy makers, legislators and criminal justice practitioners in their development and...
Council of Europe's No Hate Speech Week 2024 - Call for participants
The No Hate Speech Week, 17-20 June 2024, is organised around the International Day for Countering Hate Speech. In 2021, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which recognises the need to counter discrimination, xenophobia and hate speech and calls on all relevant actors, including states,...
Cyberviolence Resource presented during the Octopus Conference 2023
Between 13-15 December 2023, Octopus Conference 2023 took place in Bucharest, Romania. The Octopus Conference, organised every 12 to 18 months by the Council of Europe, constitutes one of the biggest and finest platforms of exchange in cybercrime gathering experts from more than 100 countries,...
Cybercrime and freedom of expression: discussion paper
In recent years, most countries around the world have undertaken legislative reforms on cybercrime and electronic evidence. In a number of countries, such legislation on cybercrime includes provisions on criminalising the “dissemination of false information”, “offensive messages”, “causing...
Countering online xenophobia and racism: new study underlines increased relevance of the First Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime
The 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 in Strasbourg, France, on 28 January 2003. In the light of its 20th anniversary, a study was prepared to...
Fourth meeting of the Committee of Experts on Hate Crime
The 4th and final meeting of the Committee of Experts on Hate Crime (PC/ADI-CH) took place on 4-6 October 2023 in Strasbourg under the Chairmanship of Stephanie Oener (Austria). Over the course of the three-day meeting, the Committee examined and finalised the draft Recommendation on combating...