UN Global Pulse partnered with IBM Science for Social Good and the University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain to develop a taxonomy and build an initial corpus of terms related to online hate speech targeting Muslim communities in English-speaking countries.
The project explored methodologies to uncover the potential causal relationships between violence committed offline—either in the name of Islam or intentionally directed against Muslim communities—and the fluctuation of derogatory, offensive, or even inciting comments online.
Recent years have given rise to an increased prevalence of hate speech online which, according to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, can reinforce the subordination of targeted minorities.
Efforts to understand how and when the expression of hate thrives online can support the work of a wide variety of UN entities in de-escalating tensions.
Global Pulse included the methodology and findings of the research in a scientific paper entitled: The Effect of Extremist Violence on Hateful Speech Online.
