The amount of harmful online content in Bosnia and Herzegovina is worrying and calls for a comprehensive response. The study on Regulating Harmful Online Content in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Between Freedom of Expression and Harm to Democracy, presented by Mediacentar Sarajevo on Thursday, stresses the need to protect freedom of expression and come up with practices that are in line with international human rights law, and which do not prevent or censor online speech or discourage free-flow of various sources of information and opinions.
The study was done under Social Media 4 Peace project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNESCO, aimed to strengthen societal resilience to potentially harmful content spreading online, while safeguarding freedom of expression and promoting peace through digital technologies, social media in particular.
Freedom of expression is a universal human right of every individual, said in his address the Head of the UNESCO Office Siniša Šešum, noting that at the same time freedom of expression comes with great responsibility for each of us.
Unfortunately, as in many other parts elsewhere around the world, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, freedom of expression is often used as a license, a clearance to promote harmful content, hate speech and, regrettably, it is weaponised against the highest values of this country, meaning cultural diversity.
The report, Siniša Šešum added, as produced by Mediacentar Sarajevo is another stark reminder to the public that the use of social networks and media implies social responsibility, which, as he noted, is not always visible in BiH.
At the presentation of the study, Jurgis Vilčinskas, Acting Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation, underscored that everyone has a role to play in preventing harmful online content, while at the same time freedom of expression should be guaranteed. Public figures must refrain from inciting fear and divisions for political purposes on online platforms, and law enforcement agencies and other relevant bodies must do their job more effectively, Vilcinskas stressed.
Bosnia and Herzegovina must increase society’s resilience to harmful online content by investing in media and digital literacy programmes, supporting fact-checking, developing legislation in line with international standards, and supporting research.
In his words, BiH lacks a strategy and action plan to combat misinformation that would bring together various stakeholders such as governments, NGOs, regulators, self-regulators and academia.
The study focuses on five types of harmful online content, hate speech and hate narratives, denial of war crimes and glorification of war criminals, ethnonational and/or politically biased media reporting, disinformation, and attacks, threats and discrediting campaigns against individuals.
Illegal content and potentially harmful content must be distinguished. Law enforcement and the judiciary must deal with illegal content at source, yet self-regulation can help curb the circulation of illegal content. Potentially harmful content should be addressed through filtering tools and evaluation mechanisms, as well as by promoting awareness and encouraging self-regulation.
The presentation of the study was followed by a panel discussion joined by Azra Maslo, Head of the Sector for Programme Content and Complaints with the Communications Regulatory Agency of BiH, Maida Bahto Kestendžić, Project Coordinator of the Press and Online Media Council in BiH, Bojana Kostić, Media Expert, Lejla Gačanica, Legal Expert and Mladen Lakić, member of the Fact-Checking Team, Citizens’ Association Why not/Zašto ne.
More on the Social Media 4 Peace project
Funded by the European Union, the project Social Media 4 Peace aims to strengthen the resilience of societies to potential harmful content spread online, in particular hate speech inciting to violence, while enhancing the promotion of peace through digital technologies, notably social media, in three pilot countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia and Kenya.