Ask HN: Will countries ban realtime language translation to reduce overt racism?
1 amichail 1 5/28/2025, 1:03:23 PM
Language barriers are currently used as a socially acceptable way to discriminate — especially on the basis of race.
If real-time translation removes these barriers, people might become much more overt in their racism.
And perhaps countries have an interest in preventing that from happening.
Comments (1)
aurizon · 1d ago
Nope. the language barrier allows 'secret' communication to your own co-linguists while to the person slandered = ducks talking = quack-quack-quack.
With instant online translation quack-quack-quack = 'go home, we do not need you here = Hey, a talking racist duck.
In effect full communication enabled and people will lose their ability to communicate covertly as a secret group.
This is similar to secret online chat-bullying that would be inhibited by the ability to confront your critics and expose them.