Who We Are
We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit research team studying dangerous speech:
any form of communication that can increase the risk that one group of people will violently turn against another group. We try to find the best ways to counter this, while also protecting freedom of expression. We are not part of a university or any other institution.
“This is a time of fear in the world, and fear is an opportunity for autocrats who use it to consolidate power by using dangerous speech. At the same time, large numbers of people are mobilizing against weaponized fear and violence. We can support them, since the best way to make dangerous speech less powerful is to teach people about it. We are here for that.
Our work is vital right now for another reason. In public discourse in the United States, whenever there’s a controversy about speech two opposing sides form up against each other, under the banners “free speech” and “hate speech.” This is a false dichotomy: it’s possible, and in fact essential, to counter hatred while also protecting freedom of expression. Focusing instead on “dangerous speech” allows people of different backgrounds and ideas to start a discussion, since almost everyone agrees that mass violence should be prevented.”
SUSAN BENESCH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
DANGEROUS SPEECH PROJECT
Our Mission
We envision a world free of violence inspired by dangerous speech, in which people also fully enjoy freedom of expression. We equip people to counter dangerous speech and the violence it catalyzes, through research, education, and policy work.
Our Areas of Work
Learn more1
Studying, and developing useful ideas about, dangerous speech and its harms
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Investigating and evaluating responses to dangerous and other harmful speech including hate speech
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Adapting, framing and disseminating dangerous speech ideas for use by key communities
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Advising and critiquing decision makers on speech governance
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Promoting and protecting researchers’ capacity to study online content
How We Work
The Dangerous Speech Project works to find and teach tools for identifying dangerous speech. Using those tools requires knowledge of the relevant cultural context. Therefore we are not an authority or arbiter of which speech is dangerous.
We have built, and continue to build, two new subject matter fields: dangerous speech and counterspeech.
We insist on both countering dangerous speech and protecting freedom of expression. They are not inimical. On the contrary, it’s essential to fight for both.
We straddle and connect several fields of endeavor - academia, civil society, tech companies, and public policy.
We are committed to lifting up the voices of people most affected by DS and who have the most experience with it.
Our Partners
We work closely with diverse groups to maximize the quality and impact of our efforts, and share our work by writing articles, reports,, and op-eds and giving frequent talks. We’re proud to be part of the following coalitions and networks:
Our Funding
The Dangerous Speech Project receives all of its core funding (for salaries and the costs of running the organization) from private foundations, including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
We have received some money from other sources for specific projects. For example, our work on counterspeech is partially supported by Public Safety Canada’s Community Resilience Fund. We also receive payment from companies, such as Spotify, for advising them on content moderation policy.
Our previous funders include the U.S. Institute for Peace, the Fetzer Institute, Google.org, and the Open Society Foundations.
We do not, and will not, accept funding that creates any real or perceived conflict of interest, that compromises our academic and editorial freedom, or that conflicts with our values. Corporate grants or contracts over $10,000 and all funding from governments and anonymous sources must be approved by the DSP Advisory Board.