Countering online hate speech through legislative measures: The Ethiopian approach from a comparative perspective

ABSTRACT It is apparent that the phenomenon of online hate speech is increasing at a meteoric rate. Meanwhile, governments around the world are resorting to legislative measures in an attempt to address this pernicious social problem. Yet, while much of the discourse has been on how these legislative efforts may inadvertently affect individuals’ right to freedom of expression in established liberal democracies, little is known about the collateral costs of similar trends in developing countries with a burgeoning democratic culture. For this reason, it is imperative to assess how and to what extent legal frameworks for the moderation of user-generated online content may portend dire consequences for freedom of speech in non-democratic countries like Ethiopia, where there are distinct media and socio-political environments. Using comparative legal research methodology, this research article seeks to offer an overview of the legislative responses to online hate speech in different jurisdictions, drawing from normatively preferable policy frameworks, to provide some insights into how gaps in the new Ethiopian hate speech and disinformation prevention law can be filled.