Dangerous speech, misogyny, and democracy

Since April 2022, we have become particularly concerned about the rise of violent misogyny online and the way it impacts women’s willingness to participate in public life. Dangerous speech, misogyny, and democracy: A review of the impacts of dangerous speech since the end of the Parliament Protest by Kayli Taylor, Kate Hannah, and Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa analyses the impacts of dangerous speech, particularly misogyny, from March 2022 to August 2022.

This paper explores the trends of rising misogyny, the impact of dangerous speech on communities and individuals, and the way various intersections of identity impact people’s experiences of online harassment and hate.

Since we sent this paper to a limited mailing list of MPs in August 2022, misogyny has continued to grow, unmoderated by platforms. TDP continues to bear witness to the rise of violent misogyny on domestic mis- and disinformation ecologies. The consequences of this misogyny should not be underestimated – and require legislative and social change.

Download the paper here.

20 responses to “Dangerous speech, misogyny, and democracy”

  1. […] The DPMC’s Kantar report goes even further, and notes 54% of respondents who strongly believe in misinformation have avoided or stopped watching or reading mainstream media. This is line with AUT’s media trust research in 2022, and again in 2023. TDP’s own research shows continued gains around the subscription to very dangerous disinformation networks who now have their own newsletters, video channels, podcasts, and radio platforms. In short, New Zealand is no longer a country which can take for granted shared realities based on liberal democratic foundations, and beliefs. This splintering of realities, starting with the parliament protest in 2022, is now defined by hate, and harms against Māori, Pasifika, Muslim, and other minorities, including trans-people, and the GLBTIQA+ community which have significantly increased – featuring, in some instances, calls for genocidal extermination, and extreme violence against a former head of state. […]