Freedom of speech, media and hate speech:

reflections from communicative act

Abstract

While social networks provide interaction between people and the democratization of knowledge, they can thus lead to violations of human rights and weaken democracies. This article seeks to reflect on possible impacts of narratives that incite violence, propagated in particular by Heads of State and Government through social networks of mass dissemination. Based on Jürgen Habermas' theory of communicative action and Ruud Koopmans' three discursive opportunities categories, it aims to understand the indiscriminate use of instrumental action by political agents in power, as well as why polarizing profiles and discourses are on the rise. Finally, it is concluded that the limits of the right to freedom of expression are necessary in view of its excesses that can result in multiple forms of violence, unfair discrimination and the weakening of democratic regimes. For that, it uses the hypothetical-deductive method and the techniques of documental and bibliographic research procedure.