Stop Hate Speech: alliance F and ETH Zurich set up Switzerland’s first foundation for online public discourse

Alliance F and ETH Zurich are launching the Public Discourse Foundation (PDF), which will take an in-depth look at hate speech and its impact on democracy. The aim is to explore and promote public discourse on the internet. The foundation's first project will support media companies with comment moderation and empower civil society to effectively deal with hate speech through an interactive knowledge centre. Hate speech - that is, toxic language, insults and vilification specifically directed at people because of the way they look or how they identify - has become a widespread problem. alliance F launched the external page Stop Hate Speech project in 2020, made possible by the Migros Pioneer Fund, to recognise and research hate speech on the internet and to develop effective counterstrategies. Now alliance F and ETH Zurich are establishing the non-profit Public Discourse Foundation (PDF), which aims to examine and encourage public discourse on the internet. Mercator Foundation Switzerland is supporting the establishment of the foundation with a contribution of CHF 300,000 over two years.