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Online Civil Courage Initiative

Website:

counterspeech.fb.com/en/initiatives/online-civil-courage-initiative-occi/
Type:

Censorship Advocacy Organization
Formation:

2016
Status:

Project of Facebook
Location:

Berlin, Germany

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Online Civil Courage Initiative is a Facebook-founded European initiative challenging what the organizers call hate speech and extremism online. The OCCI was founded in Berlin, Germany, by social media company Facebook and is being led by the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue. 1

History and Leadership

Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI) was initially launched by American social media company Facebook in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom in January 2016 as a platform to combat what Facebook identified as hate speech online. 2

The program originally launched in Berlin, Germany, in January 2016 and then expanded to France and the United Kingdom. Its original supporters included the German Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, Facebook, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, and the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence. 3 4

In 2018, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg helped launch OCCI’s London office. 5 In her remarks at the launch, she called for internet companies to use automatic detection and removal tools in place of reactively removing content when notified of it. 6

Activities and Funding

Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI) is a European initiative challenging what the organizers call hate speech and extremism online. The OCCI was founded in Berlin by social media company Facebook and is being led by the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue. 7

OCCI’s mission is to promote what it calls civil courage from organizations and grassroots activists engaging in “counterspeech” online. At its launch, the initiative viewed speech countering what it identifies as bigoted and prejudiced opinions is more effective that censorship of these opinions. OCCI also argued that civil society needed to respond to hate speech and violent extremism online by amplifying campaigns by providing online support for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and activists working to counter speech, developing best practices to respond online, and assisting research into the correlation between online speech and offline actions. 8

OCCI uses technology such as artificial intelligence to find and remove terrorist propaganda and other extremism from the platform. Its original partners in the U.K. include the Jo Cox Foundation. 9 The organization provides financial support to NGOs countering online extremism; develops best practices for NGOs, governments, and other online services; supports academic research initiatives to understand the roots of extremism and hate speech; 10 and promotes the work of counterspeech activists. 11 OCCI also works with civil society activists and media and technology professionals to provide content creation and campaign marketing support to create counterspeech to counter hate speech and extremism online. 12

OCCI offers in-kind advertising grants to support NGOs in conducting counterspeech campaigns in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom and has distributed at least $1.12 million in credits from tech companies, think tanks, activists, and governments 13 to groups that combat extremist messages and “far-right hate speech.” 14 15

Since its launch, OCCI has engaged with over 100 anti-hate and anti-extremism organizations and has reached over 3.5 million people on its Facebook page. OCCI grows its engagement through ”Counterspeech Labs.” These labs connect NGOs and regional activist organizations and pair them with content creators and marketing agencies to upskill counterspeech campaigns. 16

Exercises at the labs create what they deem a safe space to develop capacity building, develop campaigns, and focus on content creation. Participants in these labs also discuss what form of hate speech or narrative they would like to discuss in their campaign and choose their audience, message, social media strategy, and content creation focus. 17

Funding

Online Civil Courage Initiative has received more than $1,090,000 in funding from social media company Facebook (now known as Meta). 18 19 OCCI’s original supporters included Facebook, the German Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, and the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence. 20

References

  1. “The OCCI Aims and Motivations.” The Online Civil Courage Initiative | OCCI. February 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://counterspeech.fb.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/english-version-handbook-2.pdf.
  2. Sam Schechner and Friedrich Geiger. “Facebook Plans to Expand Program to Fight Against Online Hate-Speech.” Wall Street Journal. September 21, 2016. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-plans-to-expand-program-to-fight-against-online-hate-speech-1474472665.
  3. “The OCCI Aims and Motivations.” The Online Civil Courage Initiative | OCCI. February 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://counterspeech.fb.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/english-version-handbook-2.pdf.
  4. Grothaus, Michael. “Facebook will offer advertising credits to activists who counteract extremist messaging.” Fast Company. September 22, 2016. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.fastcompany.com/4019789/facebook-will-offer-advertising-credits-to-activists-that-counteract-extremist-messaging.
  5. “The Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI).” Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.isdglobal.org/isd-programmes/online-civil-courage-initiative-occi/.
  6. “Facebook Launches UK initiative to counter online extremist material.” Reuters. June 23, 2017. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-counterterrorism-britain/facebook-launches-uk-initiative-to-counter-online-extremist-material-idUSKBN19E0R1.
  7.  “The OCCI Aims and Motivations.” The Online Civil Courage Initiative | OCCI. February 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://counterspeech.fb.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/english-version-handbook-2.pdf.
  8. “The OCCI Aims and Motivations.” The Online Civil Courage Initiative | OCCI. February 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://counterspeech.fb.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/english-version-handbook-2.pdf.
  9. “Facebook launches plan to fight online hate speech.” BBC News. June 23, 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40371869.
  10. Guerrini, Federico. “Facebook Launches New Initiative Against Online Extremism And Hate Speech.” Forbes. January 19, 2016. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2016/01/19/facebook-launches-new-initiative-against-online-hate-speech-in-europe-and-beyond/?sh=1255733e2952.
  11. “The OCCI Aims and Motivations.” The Online Civil Courage Initiative | OCCI. February 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://counterspeech.fb.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/english-version-handbook-2.pdf.
  12. “The OCCI Aims and Motivations.” The Online Civil Courage Initiative | OCCI. February 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://counterspeech.fb.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/english-version-handbook-2.pdf.
  13. Sam Schechner and Friedrich Geiger. “Facebook Plans to Expand Program to Fight Against Online Hate-Speech.” Wall Street Journal. September 21, 2016. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-plans-to-expand-program-to-fight-against-online-hate-speech-1474472665.
  14. “The Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI).” Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.isdglobal.org/isd-programmes/online-civil-courage-initiative-occi/.
  15. Grothaus, Michael. “Facebook will offer advertising credits to activists who counteract extremist messaging.” Fast Company. September 22, 2016. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.fastcompany.com/4019789/facebook-will-offer-advertising-credits-to-activists-that-counteract-extremist-messaging.
  16. “The Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI).” Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.isdglobal.org/isd-programmes/online-civil-courage-initiative-occi/.
  17. “The OCCI Aims and Motivations.” The Online Civil Courage Initiative | OCCI. February 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://counterspeech.fb.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/english-version-handbook-2.pdf.
  18. Smith, Dave. “Facebook has launched a new campaign against hate speech.” Insider. January 19, 2016. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-online-civil-courage-initiative-2016-1.
  19. Guerrini, Federico. “Facebook Launches New Initiative Against Online Extremism And Hate Speech.” Forbes. January 19, 2016. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2016/01/19/facebook-launches-new-initiative-against-online-hate-speech-in-europe-and-beyond/?sh=1255733e2952.
  20. “The OCCI Aims and Motivations.” The Online Civil Courage Initiative | OCCI. February 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://counterspeech.fb.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/english-version-handbook-2.pdf.
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