94% of British Universities Censor Free Speech

Uber Genius · Feb 22, 2019

A Staggering Number Of UK Universities Are Censoring The Free Speech Of Students

We are familiar with how conservative speech is censored here in the US. But this censorship is not at such significant levels as in Great Britain, especially on college campuses.

Are speech codes an important part of culture? Why or why not?

Should the US follow in Britain's footsteps?

Here is a piece from The Times claiming that in 2017 9 people per day were arrested for hate speech crimes on the Internet.

Police arresting nine people a day in fight against web trolls

JohnB445 · Feb 22, 2019

It's gotten bad.

They would consider the Bible to be hate speech.

Residential Bob · Feb 22, 2019

The arbiters of "hate speech" are self-appointed, of course. The number of free speech zones is only going to increase.

Ophiolite · Feb 22, 2019

JohnB445 said:
They would consider the Bible to be hate speech.

Do you have any evidence to support that?

That Guy 11200 · Feb 22, 2019

Of the 115 institutions reviewed this year, 63% received a red rating, meaning they are “hostile” to free speech and expression, banning “specific ideologies, political affiliations, beliefs, books, speakers or words”.

By that definition simply banning Naziism or Mein Kampf would get a university a red rating. Makes me think the ones that didn't get a red rating might be of more concern.

iluvatar5150 · Feb 22, 2019

My Prediction: When somebody goes digging into the methodology of this study, they'll find it severely lacking and that many of these restrictions are overstated and/or perfectly legitimate.

david tyler · Feb 22, 2019

MMM..AMEN

mala · Feb 22, 2019

i find that most people in the west who complain about censored speech are actually complaining about repercussions that stem from them attacking various minorities unlike back in the good ol days.
want to know what actual censorship is? go to someplace like china or russia and then you might have a point when you say that your speech is censored. otherwise you just come across as childish.

Ana the Ist · Feb 22, 2019

mala said:
i find that most people in the west who complain about censored speech are actually complaining about repercussions

Well in this case...they're actually talking about censorship of ideas and speech.

Ana the Ist · Feb 22, 2019

iluvatar5150 said:
My Prediction: When somebody goes digging into the methodology of this study, they'll find it severely lacking and that many of these restrictions are overstated and/or perfectly legitimate.

You know...I tried...but all three links in the HuffPo article were dead ends.

variant · Feb 22, 2019

Ana the Ist said:
Well in this case...they're actually talking about censorship of ideas and speech.

Examples would be helpful in this case.

This article linked from the above is what they are complaining about.
Tommy Robinson Talk On Free Speech Cancelled As Hundreds Of Students Plan Protest

Ana the Ist · Feb 23, 2019

variant said:
Examples would be helpful in this case.

This article linked from the above is what they are complaining about.
Tommy Robinson Talk On Free Speech Cancelled As Hundreds Of Students Plan Protest

Ok....and?

variant · Feb 23, 2019

Ana the Ist said:
Ok....and?

What? I was trying to help.

Complaining about their methodology seems pointless when they list examples of what they are talking about.

essentialsaltes · Feb 23, 2019

Makes you wonder why some people might want to leave Britain and go to a place where they could have a society with freedom of speech.

Ana the Ist · Feb 23, 2019

variant said:
What? I was trying to help.

Complaining about their methodology seems pointless when they list examples of what they are talking about.

The Times?

USincognito · Feb 23, 2019

JohnB445 said:
It's gotten bad.

They would consider the Bible to be hate speech.

"They" who?

variant · Feb 23, 2019

Ana the Ist said:
The Times?

The example I linked to, was the example in the article, which discusses what it was flagging as what.

City consequently received a red result in the rankings, moving up from amber in 2016.

London South Bank University was also rated as red, with Spiked claiming that it banned blasphemy at student meetings.

A spokesperson for the institution said the free speech code of practice on its website was “out of date” and has now been reformed.

Oxford Brookes - which hit headlines last week for cancelling a speech by former EDL leader Tommy Robinson over protest fears - received an amber ranking.

So, canceling this event is enough to get an amber rating.

The methodology is likely pretty harsh.

variant · Feb 23, 2019

essentialsaltes said:
Makes you wonder why some people might want to leave Britain and go to a place where they could have a society with freedom of speech.

Sometimes we cancel speakers at university's too. Freedom of speech (in the USA) is guaranteed by the Constitution from government censorship.

Christian Forums for instance would probably receive a Red rating according to this publication.

MyOwnSockPuppet · Feb 23, 2019

variant said:
Christian Forums for instance would probably receive a Red rating according to this publication.

I looked at this a couple of years ago (I've worked for a couple of UK universities, needless to say that the Student's Unions (which were rated separately) were almost always rated worse than the Universities), back when the links worked.

CF would absolutely categorically get a red rating. On a quick scan through the ToS I can see three individual things that would pretty much guarantee a Red.

Ana the Ist · Feb 24, 2019

variant said:
The example I linked to, was the example in the article, which discusses what it was flagging as what.

So, canceling this event is enough to get an amber rating.

The methodology is likely pretty harsh.

That is pretty harsh....it's their only violation?

94% of British Universities Censor Free Speech

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