(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Reddit and Twitch stood up for the civil rights of their users to enjoy their services without being subjected to hate or harassment today when they announced a new anti-hate policy and banned about 2,000 subreddits, including r/The_Donald, which for years has been a major purveyor of white supremacy and hate. The following is statement for David Brody, counsel and senior fellow at the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
“Reddit
and Twitch deserve praise for taking a stand against hate and defending the
civil rights of their users. Just as no one is above the law, no one should get
special dispensation from social media companies to promote hatred, incite
race-based violence or interfere with the right to vote. Major public figures
such as the president of the United States should be held to a higher standard,
not a lower one.”
Background:
Twitch also has temporarily banned President Donald
Trump for
violating its community guidelines prohibiting hate speech.
Online
businesses that serve the general public, such as social media companies, have
a legal duty to prevent
discrimination on their platforms—including
hateful acts that chill the speech of marginalized communities. All users have
the legal right to equally enjoy the
services of these companies
without being targeted on the basis of their race, religion, sex, or other
protected characteristics.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a founding member of the Change
the Terms
coalition and has led advocacy to combat online white supremacy and protect online civil rights through its Digital Justice Initiative.
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