74 per cent hate speech spike in 2024, India Hate Lab stories
A current report by the India Hate Lab, a venture of the Washington D.C.-based Middle for the Research of Organised Hate, signifies a big rise in hate speech incidents in opposition to minorities in India throughout 2024.
The report, revealed on 10 February, documented 1,165 cases of hate speech, marking a 74.4 per cent improve from the 668 incidents recorded in 2023.
The report additionally highlighted the position of social media platforms in amplifying hate speech, with 995 out of 1,165 occasions — over 85 per cent — being first shared or livestreamed on platforms comparable to Fb, YouTube, Instagram and X (previously Twitter).
Notably, as of 6 February 2025, solely 3 of the reported movies have been eliminated by Fb, leaving 98.4 per cent nonetheless accessible throughout numerous platforms regardless of clear violations of neighborhood requirements, per the report.
Key findings from the report embody:
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Most hate is anti-Muslim hate: Roughly 98.5 per cent of the hate speech occasions focused Muslims, both individually or alongside Christians. Particularly, 1,050 incidents have been directed solely at Muslims, whereas 97 focused each Muslims and Christians.
Moreover, 115 occasions (9.9 per cent) focused Christians, both particularly (18) or together with Muslims (97).
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BJP-ruled states hate most: Round 80 per cent of those incidents occurred in states ruled by the BJP or its allies. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have been recognized as having the best variety of hate speech occasions, collectively accounting for almost half of the whole incidents.
