Ethiopia: Hate Speech and Disinformation Prevention and Suppression Proclamation (No. 1185/2020) including content moderation regulation entered into force

On 23 March 2020, the Hate Speech and Disinformation Prevention and Suppression Proclamation (No. 1185/2020) entered into force. The law prohibits hate speech, defined as communication that deliberately promotes hatred, discrimination, or attacks against individuals or groups based on protected characteristics such as ethnicity, religion, race, gender, or disability. It also prohibits disinformation, characterised as false information shared by someone who knew or should have known it was false, with a high likelihood of causing public disturbance or violence. Social media platforms must implement measures to prevent hate speech and disinformation, remove flagged content within 24 hours of notification, and develop internal policies and procedures to fulfil these obligations. The Ethiopian Broadcast Authority oversees compliance and conducts public awareness campaigns, while the Human Rights Commission focuses on combating hate speech through education.