Hate Speech versus Free Speech: How Online Hate Speech Exposure Shapes Perceptions and Regulatory Preferences about Freedom of Expression

While social media platforms have expanded avenues for social and political engagement and self-expression, they are also spheres for harmful and uncivil online speech. This contrast has intensified debates about how to reconcile the protection of free speech with efforts to regulate hate speech. Yet, causal evidence on how exposure to hate speech influences citizens’ perceptions of freedom of expression and regulatory preferences in view of this dilemma remains scarce.To address this gap, we conducted a preregistered online experiment with two independent samples from the German population (total N = 1,045). Participants were randomly assigned to view and rate hate speech targeting different political groups across two issue domains (climate change, LGBTQIA+ rights), factual information on the respective issue, or no stimulus. Then, they provided information on their attitudes toward freedom of expression. We show that mere exposure to hate speech does not significantly affect the perceived state of freedom of expression or regulatory preferences. However, individuals who perceive hate speech as more uncivil are more likely to favor combating hate speech over protecting freedom of expression. This finding points to the importance of individual perceptions of harmful content when assessing its social and political consequences.