Petra Bezjak Cirman: "We are committed to playing our role in working to prevent hate speech in a responsible manner"

11. 5. 2023

Government Communication Office

"There are many positive aspects to exchanging opinions on social media. However, the conditions for user participation must be clearly defined, so that such discussions are respectful and inclusive. We have done this on the Government's social media profiles," said the Director of the Government Communication Office, Petra Bezjak Cirman, at the 4th meeting of the Strategic Council on Hate Speech Prevention.

At this meeting, which was dedicated to preventive measures, Petra Bezjak Cirman also presented several initiatives.

The Government Communication Office (UKOM) has made an important step towards preventing online hate speech. In November 2022 it adopted guidelines for moderating comments on the social media profiles of ministries and government services, and engaged with social media platforms, such as Meta, which manages Facebook and Instagram.

At the meeting of the strategic council Petra Bezjak Cirman proposed that the council consider creating a national awareness campaign, and that the topic of hate speech be included in the curriculum for active citizenship with the simulation of a government session for students. The UKOM Director also stated that long-term and stable financing should be provided for civil society and research projects (such as Spletno oko and Časoris).

She added that the right balance should be sought between protecting people from hate speech and maintaining democratic values, including the right to free speech. She stressed that hate speech prevention requires a multi-layered approach, which involves various stakeholders, including government institutions, civil society organisations, educational institutions and media. "To this end, UKOM will support various educational, awareness-raising and other preventive initiatives, such as the promotion of digital and media literacy, responsible media reporting, critical thinking, tolerance and empathy, which will facilitate the effective detection, identification and prevention of hate speech, and promote an inclusive and respectful dialogue."