#iComment: Debating hate speech and the rise and fall of online comments sections
By Ana Ribeiro and Ingrida Milkaite
Over the past few years, media channels internationally have been restricting, mostly disabling or completely removing their online comments sections. They cite reasons such as a spike in hate speech or even lack of interaction compared to the response on social media.
The European Union broadly defines "illegal hate speech" as that inciting violent action or hatred towards certain groups. With political forces urging moderation of hate speech, coupled with the current growth in the volume of such speech, maintaining these public interaction spaces is becoming costlier for online outlets.
There is now the distinct possibility…