Hate Speech
Hate speech online can appear in social media posts, comments, videos, messages, forums, gaming communities and other online spaces. It can be directed at one person, a group of people or an entire community.
If you've experienced or come across hate speech online, you can report it to the platform. In some circumstances, online hate can also cross the threshold into a criminal offence and can be reported to the police.
What is online hate speech?
Online hate speech generally refers to content that attacks, abuses or expresses hatred towards a person or group because of who they are.
It can include:
Abusive or hateful comments about someone's race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity
Slurs, degrading language or stereotypes directed at a person or group
Posts, images or videos that encourage hatred towards particular communities
Threats or encouragement of violence against someone because of their identity
Repeatedly targeting someone with hateful messages or comments
Encouraging other people to target or abuse a person or community
Hateful memes, images, symbols or videos
Accounts or online communities created to promote hateful content
Hate speech can be aimed directly at you, but it doesn't have to be. You might come across a post, video or account promoting hatred towards a group or community that you belong to, or simply see hateful content targeting others
Is all hate speech illegal?
No. There is an important difference between content that is offensive, upsetting or hateful and content that is against the law. People have a right to freedom of expression, and this can include opinions that other people strongly disagree with or find offensive.
This means that something isn't automatically illegal simply because it is offensive or expresses a negative view about a person, religion, belief or group. However, freedom of expression isn't unlimited. Depending on what has been said, who or what is being targeted and the circumstances, online hate speech can sometimes cross the threshold into a criminal offence.
Even when hateful content isn't illegal, it may still break the platform's community guidelines or terms of service and can still be reported.
What does the law say about hate speech online?
There isn't one single UK offence called "hate speech". Different laws can apply depending on what has happened. This can include offences relating to stirring up hatred, threatening communications, harassment and other criminal behaviour.
Hate crime is also slightly different from hate speech.
In England and Wales, a crime can be treated as a hate crime where hostility is demonstrated towards someone, or the crime is motivated by hostility, because of their:
Race
Religion
Disability
Sexual orientation
Transgender identity
This means that something happening online may be treated as a hate crime where a criminal offence has taken place and hostility based on one of these characteristics is involved.
There are also specific offences relating to stirring up hatred. The exact legal threshold varies depending on the type of hatred involved, so not every hateful or discriminatory post will meet the threshold for a criminal offence.
What does the Online Safety Act say?
Hate offences are priority offences under the Online Safety Act. The Online Safety Act places duties on regulated online services to protect UK users, including adults, from illegal content.
Platforms must assess the risk of their services being used for priority offences, including certain hate offences, and put appropriate measures in place to reduce those risks. This doesn't mean that every piece of content that could be described as "hate speech" is automatically illegal content under the Online Safety Act.
The content would need to meet the requirements of a relevant criminal offence. However, a platform's own rules around hate speech and hateful conduct can be broader than UK criminal law. This means that if you've experienced or seen hateful content online, you can still report it to the platform even if you're unsure whether it is illegal.
How do I report hate speech online?
If you've experienced or seen hate speech online, there are several things you can do.
Report the content to the platform
Most social media platforms have specific reporting options for hate speech, hateful conduct or abusive behaviour. Report the individual post, comment, message, image or video and choose the option that most accurately describes what's happened.
If an account is repeatedly posting hateful content, you may also be able to report the account itself.
Save evidence
If the content is directed at you, involves threats or is part of repeated behaviour, consider saving evidence before blocking the person or deleting messages.
Take screenshots and keep usernames, profile links, URLs and dates and times where possible. If the behaviour continues, keeping a record can help demonstrate the wider pattern of what has been happening.
Block, mute or restrict accounts
Once you've saved any evidence you need, you can use the platform's tools to block, mute or restrict the person responsible. You can also review your privacy settings and limit who can contact you, comment on your content or view your profile.
Consider reporting hate crime to the police
If you believe a criminal offence has taken place and that you have been targeted because of your race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity, you can report it to the police as a hate crime.
You can also report hate crime that you have witnessed happening to someone else.
You don't need to be certain that what happened meets the legal definition of a hate crime before making a report.
You can also report hate crime that you have witnessed happening to someone else.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.
Already reported it to the platform?
If you've reported hate speech or hateful content to a platform and you're unhappy with the response, we may be able to help you understand your reporting options and what you can do next.
Further Support
Being targeted by hate online can be frightening and upsetting, particularly when the abuse is repeated or involves threats. There are organisations that can help you report what has happened and provide specialist advice and support.
Call the police
If someone is in immediate danger or a crime is happening now,
CALL 999.
For non-emergencies, you can also contact the police on
101.
Samaritans
If online hate is affecting your mental health or you're finding things difficult to cope with, Samaritans provides emotional support 24 hours a day.
You can call
116 123
for free.