For 18% of Americans social media is their main source of news – what does this mean for the presidential elections?

by Danica Damplo, Universal Rights Group NYC Blog BORRAR, Blog BORRAR, Democracy, In focus: democracy BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues, Universal Rights Group NYC BORRAR

On 30 July, the Pew Research Center released a report that revealed that one in five Americans use social media for their primary source of news. This report comes at a time of both an intense news cycle, dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and a fast approaching US presidential election, and when social media usage is at an all-time high . It …

France’s watered-down anti-hate speech law enters into force

by the URG team Blog BORRAR, Blog BORRAR, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, Democracy, Hate speech BORRAR, In focus: democracy BORRAR, In Focus: Human rights and religion BORRAR, Prevention, accountability and justice BORRAR, Religion, Thematic human rights issues

On 1 July a new French law entered into force that aims to regulate online hate speech. Known as the ‘Avia law’ after Laetitia Avia, the parliamentarian who drafted the original bill, the final law was significantly watered down during its passage through the lower house of parliament and the Senate, following opposition from free speech activists. Then, in an …

New UK Magnitsky-style human rights sanction regime ‘an important step forward for accountability’

by Louis Mason, Universal Rights Group Accountability, Blog BORRAR, Blog BORRAR, Democracy, In focus: democracy BORRAR, Justice, Magnitsky BORRAR, Prevention, Prevention, accountability and justice BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues

Last Monday (6 July 2020), the UK became the latest country to join the growing ‘ Magnitsky momentum ’ by passing the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations , allowing the Government to sanction alleged perpetrators of the gravest forms of human rights violations. Introducing the Regulations in Parliament, the UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, said : “Today this Government and this House sends a very clear message on …