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Countering Hate Speech on Social Media in Cameroon: Legal and Technical Measures

DOI: 10.4236/blr.2024.153067, PP. 1104-1126

Keywords: Hate Speech, Social Media, Legal and Technical Measures, Cameroon

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Abstract:

Hate speech on social media is on the rise globally. It is to be accounted for several offline violence including the massacres of the Rohyinga in Myanmar, mass shootings and hate crimes in the United States of America. Online hate speech benefits from increased access to the internet at reduced costs and from the anonymity offered in cyberspace. Cameroon is no exception to this and online hate speech is rampant. This has led to the incorporation of the offence of hate speech in the Penal Code in 2019 in the aftermath of the 2018 presidential elections where, for the first time, social media played a major role in an electoral campaign amidst civil upsurge in the South West and North West regions with a strong involvement of the diaspora. This paper examines legal and technological measures put in place to address online hate speech in Cameroon. The qualitative methods of exegesis and content analysis were used in this study. It follows that, while Cameroon took significant legal steps to combat online hate speech by criminalising it, there is still some confusion between the various provisions. Technological measures are also used to fight hate speech on social media through detection and suppression of contents and accounts. The law needs amendments for harmonisation and better coverage of hate speech.

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