Racism versus Freedom of Expression: Current and future approaches to the regulation of Internet hate speech

The regulation of Internet hate speech is one of the most controversial topics
concerning the new worldwide medium. As this work will demonstrate, the importance of
consensus in this area cannot be overstated. The Internet offers many unique opportunities for
promoting hate propaganda and hate activists have readily utilized these opportunities.
Despite this, members of the world community have adopted diametrically opposed positions
towards the regulation of hate speech and these differences extend to Internet hate speech.
Two main positions are examined - the United States and Germany. Within an
analysis of the latter and in recognition of their increasingly important regulatory role, the
initiatives of the Council of Europe and the European Union's are explored. Attention is also
given to the regulatory efforts of private companies and the extent that states are willing to
delegate control to their hands.
The main focus of this work is a legal analysis of the regulation of hate speech on the
Internet. In addition it considers relevant historical circumstances and the technological
aspects of the functioning of Internet, without which any discussion of the topic would be
incomplete.