News / Recap
The Content Moderation Lab at the European Observatory of Online Hate training in Berlin
The European Observatory of Online Hate (EOOH) held a two-day training in Berlin, bringing together experts from law, research, civil society, and law enforcement to confront one of today's most urgent challenges: online hate.
We shared findings from our latest survey on public attitudes toward content moderation. The discussions echoed a central tension: while most users support restricting harmful content, many now see intolerance and hatred as inevitable.
Key takeaways:
- Hate speech is not universally defined. Its meaning varies across countries, languages, and disciplines, making it essential to distinguish between offensive, harmful, and illegal speech.
- The challenge of "awful but lawful." Content that is harmful yet legal raises difficult questions: who should decide what crosses the line—lawmakers, courts, platforms, or society at large?
- Opportunities in the Digital Services Act. The DSA sets new responsibilities for platforms, including transparency, redress, and—through Article 40—data access for researchers. If implemented effectively, this could transform evidence-based research on systemic risks. Yet details around data formats, access requests, timelines, and cooperation between regulators, platforms, and researchers still need clarification.
- The power of collaboration. A recurring theme was the need for cross-sector cooperation, bringing together expertise and perspectives to develop effective tools for identifying, reporting, and addressing harmful online content.
