JAKARTA - The Spanish government has launched a new digital tool to monitor the spread of hate speech and disinformation on social media. This step was called by the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, as part of efforts to strengthen surveillance of the increasingly polarized digital space.
The tool is called HODIO, short for Huella del Odio y la Polarización or the footprint of hatred and polarization. The system is designed to measure the volume and reach of hate content on various social media platforms, while providing data on the effectiveness of digital platforms in blocking or deleting such content.
The launch of HODIO was held on Wednesday, March 11, in Madrid in an event attended by technology experts, parliamentarians, and representatives of digital platform companies.
"Hatred does not arise spontaneously; it is cultivated and promoted." said Sánchez at the launch event. He warned that hate speech does not arise naturally, but is produced and spread deliberately.
According to Sánchez, social media has strengthened the impact of the phenomenon. "If hatred is already dangerous, social media has turned it into a weapon of mass polarization." he said, adding that "this antisocial digital weapon is easy to find, easy to use, and very profitable for some parties".
The HODIO system will monitor public uploads on social media and is run by the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia or OBERAXE, a government agency focused on racism and xenophobia issues. This institution will publish reports twice a year that combine data analysis with expert assessments.
The results of the monitoring will be published through the official OBERAXE website so that the public can see the level of spread of hate speech on each social media platform. The government hopes that this data transparency can help the public understand the dynamics of digital conversations as well as determine how they use social media more wisely.
This initiative was actually mentioned by Sánchez earlier in the World Governments Summit forum held in Dubai last month. At that time he announced a broader policy package to improve oversight of global technology companies while responding to the increasing cases of digital bullying.
One of the plans that the Spanish government is also considering is to limit the use of social media for children under the age of 16. The policy is intended to protect children from the risks that Sánchez calls the "digital wild west", a condition of the digital space that has few rules and is full of potential for abuse.
Sánchez himself is often the target of personal attacks on social media, including those targeting his family. He assessed that the attack was part of a wider political campaign, involving the spread of hoaxes and attempts to overthrow the minority government led by the Socialist Party.
Spain's move adds to a list of European countries that have begun tightening oversight of digital platforms amid growing concerns about disinformation, hate speech, and its impact on the stability of democracy and the mental health of young generations.
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