Protecting people from hate more important than free speech to Brits, eye-opening poll finds

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There are more people in Britain who value protecting others from hate speech than those who value free speech, a new survey on cancel culture has shown.

The YouGov poll, conducted in November, had 1,677 respondents and questions focused on topics surrounding so-called “cancel culture”.

Despite the almost constant drone of big names claiming they’ve been cancelled, while raking in millions from books and films, appearing on TV and having theatres named after them, two-thirds of people in Britain have no idea what “cancel culture” means, and 38 per cent say they’ve never even heard the term.

Two thirds of Britons don’t know what “cancel culture” is, including one in three who have literally never heard of it

Heard of it, know what it means – 35%
Heard of it, not completely sure – 18%
Heard of it, no idea – 9%
Never heard of it – 38%https://t.co/E9SX8Xp0j9 pic.twitter.com/s35QqVr9ZZ

— YouGov (@YouGov) December 22, 2021

Many of those that decry cancel culture use freedom of speech to back up their argument: That people should be able to say whatever they like, at any cost to others.

But the YouGov poll showed that Britons are actually more likely to prioritise protecting others from hate speech (43 per cent), than protecting free speech (38 per cent).

Strangely enough, privilege seemed to have some effect on respondents priorities – while the greatest proportion of men (47 per cent) were more concerned about free speech, more than half of women (51 per cent) thought that protecting against offensive and hateful speech was more important.

Young people and Labour voters were also more likely to prioritise preventing hate speech, while older people and Conservatives were more likely to defend freedom of speech.

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What should be prioritised more?

Priority should be more on protecting free speech – 38%
Priority should be more on protecting people from offensive or hateful speech – 43%https://t.co/E9SX8Xp0j9 pic.twitter.com/sKF289vRSG

— YouGov (@YouGov) December 22, 2021

The survey also found that those with “less progressive” views were more “reluctant to express” them in public.

Giving some clue as to why they might not want to express them in front of other human beings, these views included not believing that trans women are women, and thinking that gay people in the UK have things “just as good as straight people”, and “British people from ethnic minorities have things just as good in the UK as white Britons”.