The vast majority of voters think that online hate speech is a serious problem, with just under half saying that it's a "very serious" problem, according to a new poll from Rasmussen Reports.
Rasmussen asked 1,000 likely voters across the U.S. this month about their views on Internet hate speech.
When asked: "How serious is the problem of hate speech on the Internet?"
- 45% said it's very serious.
- 25% said it's somewhat serious.
- 16% said it's not very serious.
- 8% said it's not at all serious.
- 6% said they're not sure.
Rasmussen also asked: "How much does hate speech on the Internet contribute to violence against women and minorities?"
- 38% said a lot.
- 28% said somewhat.
- 17% said not very much.
- 10% said not at all.
- 7% said they're not sure.
Voters were divided when asked: "Should the federal government take action to suppress hate speech on the Internet?"
- 41% said yes.
- 40% said no.
- 19% aren't sure.
Rasmussen concluded by asking: "Is it possible to suppress hate speech without violating First Amendment rights to free speech?"
- 43% said yes.
- 36% said no.
- 21% aren't sure.
Rasmussen Reports polled 1,000 likely voters across the country from May 29-30, 2022 with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.