Understanding 5 types of racism online

Racism online is a form of discrimination that takes place on social media and other digital spaces when someone posts or shares content discriminating against an individual, group, or community based on their skin color, ethnicity, citizenship, or national origin. It mirrors the systemic racism present in our societies and can fuel real-world violence.?

Over the years, CCDH identified different expressions of racism online, including antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-black hate, as well as white supremacy. We’ve also exposed how AI tools are replicating and amplifying racism online.

What is racism online?

Racism online is the act of posting and sharing hateful and prejudiced content against an individual, group, or community based on their skin color, ethnicity, citizenship, or national origin. It reflects and amplifies the systemic racism existing in society.?

In the same way that offline racism feeds racism online, many real-world attacks, including mass shootings and even genocide, can be linked back to racist rhetoric that is spread online.

5 types of racism online we spotted

1. Antisemitism

Online hate against Jewish people rose alarmingly on social media following the Hamas attack in Israel, in October 2023, and the subsequent bombings in Gaza. In November, our research on Twitter/X revealed that the platform kept hosting antisemitic content a week after we reported it.

2. Anti-Muslim hate

Online hate against Muslims has also spiked amid the Israel-Gaza conflict. In the same research that showed the rise in antisemitism on X, CCDH identified posts dehumanizing Muslims and inciting violence against them.?

3. Anti-black hate

In July 2021, England’s loss on penalties in the Euro final unleashed a wave of racist abuse on social media against the black players Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Jadon Sancho. CCDH identified 105 Instagram accounts making racist comments on the three players’ official accounts and reported them to the platform.?

To continue reading, take a look at our full explainer and find out what are the other types of online racism we spotted in our work.