Swiss launch platform to report racist speech online
“Racist hate speech on the Internet endangers social cohesion in society,” says the Federal Commission against Racism.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Switzerland has a new platform for reporting racist hate speech on the Internet, the Federal Commission against Racism (FCR) has announced.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jc
العربية
ar
سويسرا تطلق منصة للإبلاغ عن خطاب العنصرية على الإنترنت
The new reporting platformExternal link “simplifies the reporting of racist hate speech on the Internet”, the FCR said in a statementExternal link on Tuesday. This pilot project offers the public, professionals and organisations “the possibility to report racist content they have seen on the Internet with just a few clicks”.
According to the FCR, the reported data will be recorded and analysed in a database. This will provide Switzerland with an overview of the type and extent of racist hate speech on the Internet. For the time being, the FCR will not forward cases to judicial authorities for possible criminal prosecution but will support reporting persons who wish to file charges, the commission told news agency Keystone-SDA.
“Racist hate speech on the Internet endangers social cohesion in society,” the FCR wrote in its statement. “Until now, there has been no way for the public to report such cases to a centralised body. This gap will now be closed with the reporting platform.”
The FCR, an independent advisory body set up by the government in 1995, defines racist hate speech on the Internet as statements in written, audio or visual form that “disparage a person or group of persons on the basis of their ‘race’, skin colour, ethnicity, national origin or religion, incite hatred against them or advocate, promote or justify this”.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.