Tham Jia Vern discussed how approaches towards curbing hate speech online should be diversified beyond activating legal measures. By introducing her work in developing #trackerbenci, an AI-driven tracker identifying hate speech on Twitter, Jia Vern shared how technologies can be used positively to counter dangerous narratives online.
Next, Dr Syaza elaborated on how GE15 was impacted by the different ideological views held by the Malays, namely – conservatism and populist Islam. She further added that while freedom of expression in the country has progressed over decades after Malaysia’s independence, it does not guarantee internet freedom for all.
In her elaboration, Dina Zaman provided insights towards understanding the voting patterns of the majority Malays. Although social media has both negatively and positively mobilised the community during the election period, she opinionated that curbing dissenting voices through legal mechanisms may pose more significant harm than good.
Sharing the results of CIJ’s social media monitoring of GE15, Wathshlah Naidu, showcased how hate speech and disinformation can be manifested in various forms online and addressed the need to provide better digital literacy which is accessible by all members of society.