Rumors on the Net: A Brackish Suspension of Speech and Hate.

This article analyzes the challenges posed by rumors and hate speech on online social media platforms, focusing on their impact on public memory, civility, and democratic communication within differing legal frameworks in France, Europe, and the United States. It introduces a binary framework—F.L.A.M.E. (Factor, Length, Aggression, Media, Exposure) to evaluate the escalation of harmful online speech, and P.R.E.D.A.T.I.O.N.S. (Paranoia, Racism, Execration, Discrimination, Anger, Terror, Irritability, Obscurantism, Nervousness, Sexism) to describe its social consequences. The article highlights contrasting approaches to regulating hate speech, noting that France criminalizes such speech to protect dignity and equality, while the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment broadly protects hate speech as free speech, relying on a "marketplace of ideas" to marginalize harmful views. It also discusses the complexities of mass participation in digital spaces, including cyberbullying and "harassment in pack," with examples from French law and U.S. political discourse, illustrating how social media platforms both enable and struggle to regulate harmful speech.