Critical discourse analysis regarding freedom of speech and hate speech on social media in Brazil: a literature review

Abstract

This article has the main goal of providing a literature review on works of Critical Applied Linguistics regarding hate speech versus freedom of speech on social media in the context of Brazil, theoretically based on Critical Discourse Analysis, that were published in the last ten (10) years, in English and Portuguese. There are two research questions guiding this paper: what are the most researched themes and quoted authors in studies about hate speech vs. freedom of speech on social media in the Brazilian context in the last 10 years? And what are the main contributions these studies leave to society towards social justice? The methodology consists of a literature review, using Periódicos Capes database as a primary and only source, analysing the goals, main authors and topics, methodologies and findings of the papers selected. The conclusions show the prevalence of hate speech used as freedom of speech on social media and the problems it causes (especially to vulnerable individuals and groups of people), even though the Brazilian Juridical System has laws designed to handle the issue. For future research, it suggests investigating more in depth the moderation of social media regarding their policies and transparency on handling cyberhate, and other issues such as privacy invasion and the spread of misinformation online, and the necessity of more studies in the field of Critical Discourse Analysis within Critical Applied Linguistics.