Don't let online hate silence you

Characteristics of online hate

By online hate, we mean hateful, offensive, or threatening online messages. This also includes online messages that spread negatively charged “disinformation” (lies).

Online hate has the following characteristics:

• The hateful messages target the person (or organization), not the content.
• People who already face regular discrimination are at a higher risk of online hate. For example, people of color, (young) women, trans and queer individuals, people with disabilities or illnesses, people who don’t meet the dominant beauty ideals, and religious minorities (such as Muslims or Jews).
• Online hate can escalate to physical threats and the hacking of your online accounts.
• Online hate often comes from far-right or alt-right sources.
• Online hate is more likely to occur when you or your organization have been in the news, which makes spokespeople especially vulnerable as targets.
• A post or article from a (far-)right-wing opinion maker about you or your organization can trigger a wave of online hate.
• Online hate is not always “spontaneous”; it can be intentionally and massively organized.

1. Preparation

First of all, be aware (also as a group) of the fact that online hate exists. 

Know what online hate does to you and what help you will need. 

Also prepare new people in your group for online hate. 

2. Protection

Use Strong and Unique Passwords

Because trolls may sometimes resort to hacking your accounts during an online "hate attack," you need strong and unique passwords. This can be easily done with a password manager, such as Bitwarden (recommended by Bits Of Freedom). 

Use Two-Factor Authentication 

Two-factor authentication means that you don’t just log in with your password; an additional check is added to verify your identity. For example, by using a code sent via SMS or through an app like Aegis. If someone guesses your password and tries to break into one of your accounts, they encounter an extra barrier that limits their access. It’s wise to set up two-factor authentication wherever possible. Most platforms allow this! 

Know What’s Online About You 

Do a thorough online search for yourself. Look yourself up via a search engine and don't forget to check your current and old social media accounts. Especially privacy-sensitive information such as photos, your birthdate/birthday, and who your family members are is important to keep private. You wouldn’t be the first person to hear online that “they know where your children go to school.” Make sure such details are not easily deducible from online information. Also, consider old photos that might still be available on your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as accounts you no longer use. You can set up a Google Alert to receive an email when your search term (such as your name or your organization’s name) is mentioned somewhere on the internet. This way, you'll know when you’re in the public eye and when online reactions might occur.

Protect Your Address 

It's important that people cannot easily find out where you live. Unwanted mail, threats to your address, or even visits and vandalism to your home are risks. Search the internet for your name combined with your address. If you find anything, you know where your address is listed and can start shielding it wherever possible. Are you an entrepreneur? The Chamber of Commerce (KvK) offers the possibility to shield your business address. However, you'll need a postal address, which the KvK will still show. If you're not an entrepreneur, but your partner or housemate is, be aware that you might be findable through them, and discuss it.

Consciously Choose Your Social Media Account Settings 

Go to the settings of all your social media accounts and critically go through all the options. What do you want to make public, and what not? Who can respond? Who can find you? Is two-factor authentication enabled? If needed, you can temporarily tighten your settings when you're under attack or expect to be. 

Tip During a Troll Attack 

Temporarily change your username! This is the combination of letters that others can tag or mention you with via @username. Trolls often rile each other up through messages in which your username is tagged. If you change it quickly, the link in the hate message to your account won't work anymore. 

Under 'Security and Account Access':

• Security: 
  • Enable two-step verification and choose the verification app option.
  • Then link your verification app (like Aegis) to your Twitter account via a QR code. 

Under 'Privacy and Safety', Important:

• Almost everything! Go through all the options. You can, among other things:
  • Enable Protected Tweets. This makes your tweets no longer public on Twitter and prevents them from showing up in public search results on Twitter. Instead, your tweets will only be visible and searchable for you and your followers.
  • Set up your blocklist and mute list. Blocked users won’t be able to see anything from you, and you won’t see anything from them. Muted users won't appear to you, but they can still see and respond to your posts (though you won’t see their responses). 

Apps and Sessions: 

• Go through and check if everything is correct, log out where needed, and remove apps wherever possible. 

Connected Accounts: 

• Make a choice here. 

Notifications: 

• You could turn on the quality filter.

3. Support

Acknowledge online hate and support each other

It's not something that "comes with the territory" or something you just have to tolerate. Online hate is destructive and meant to silence you. Acknowledge this and support each other. Pay particular attention to marginalized groups and talk about it when it happens; what can you do to help? Don’t wait for the person being targeted to take initiative, as online hate can be very paralyzing. 

Set up a Buddy System 

Online hate can have a disorienting effect, so it's helpful to ask someone you trust in advance if they will be your buddy. This lowers the barrier to reach out to them when something unpleasant happens online. This person can serve as a listening ear, help you find calm, and offer practical assistance where needed (for example, by managing your account temporarily). 

Offer Help and Use Your Network 

When sorting through hateful reactions and brainstorming a response, use your network so that the target doesn't have to do it alone. Also, mobilize your network to report the haters en masse to the social media platform, hoping the account will be blocked. If your group often faces this, you can organize this through app groups, for instance. Or, connect with other movements and organizations and offer mutual support. Together, you're stronger!

Show Online Support 

Offer online support to someone who is the target of hate. This is not only heartwarming for the target, but it also shows everyone who’s reading that the target is NOT alone.

4. Respond Mindfully

De-escalate: Ensure that as little attention as possible is given to the trolls, so the wave of hate dies out:

• Respond minimally or not at all. Never "tag" or retweet the hater (don’t feed the trolls), as this will only draw more attention to them.
• Block the haters; limit who can respond; make your profile less discoverable (for example, by changing your @username);
• Remove hate comments.

Use the hate comments to get YOUR message across:

• Come up with a counter-response where your message is the focus. Don’t focus on what the troll says, but on what you want to communicate about the cause you’re fighting for. Remember, the troll’s intention is to disrupt; they are not trying to have a meaningful discussion. So you don’t need to respond to a hate comment substantively.
• Always make sure that you’re not unknowingly amplifying the troll's message in your response. Any attention, even if it’s to deny their message, ultimately strengthens the hate message. This is especially true online because the attention you give to posts, through platform algorithms, ensures more people see the hateful messages.
• Keep focusing on your own message and frame. Don’t retweet, link, reply, tag, quote, or use their words, terms, or frames, or their hashtags.
• If absolutely necessary, you can use a screenshot of a message to respond. This won’t generate an online link to the “hate account” itself.
• Make sure you (as a group) have a few standard responses ready as a template for common criticisms and hate comments, adjusting as needed. This saves a lot of time.
• Call for supportive responses and let the hate comments get drowned out, for example with a large-scale solidarity campaign.
• Have a draft of this ready as well.
• Some groups choose to display the hate comments to offer a glimpse into the hate the group faces. Be aware, however, that this also gives attention to your trolls, which could have a moral effect on your base. If you choose this route, make sure to provide a strong accompanying post with YOUR message at the center.

5. Reporting and Filing a Complaint 

Hate messages often violate both the law and the social media platform's own policies. You can use this to report them (to the platform) or file a complaint with the police. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work, but sometimes the troll is blocked, or even convicted by a judge. 

Steps for Filing a Complaint 

• Keep a log of all hate comments 
• Take screenshots of the hate comments
• Take a screenshot of the account that posted the hate comment 
• Include the relevant URLs 
• Report the hate comments to the respective social media platforms. You can organize this as a group, so that multiple people report the hateful posts simultaneously, which increases the chances of the platform taking action.
• File a police report if the situation involves criminal matters. 

Online hate is often punishable by law when the troll: 

• Shares private information (address, location, information about family members); 
• Makes a direct threat; 
• Makes explicit discriminatory statements; 
• Incites violence; 
• Spreads lies about you (slander).

Consult a lawyer if you're considering filing a police report. Don’t let yourself be turned away if you want to file a complaint. Many social change advocates have successfully had online haters convicted through legal action. Unfortunately, preparing a well-documented complaint takes work. This is all the more reason to support each other as a group during this process.

Become Resilient Against Online Hate Together. Join a Workshop with Your Organization or Group!

This handout offers you some concrete steps to take when you've encountered online hate, or if you're at a higher risk of facing it.

Since building resilience against online hate needs to be organized collectively and tailored to your specific organization, a handbook alone is not enough.

Ensure that you are optimally prepared to deal with online hate and get in touch with us for a customized workshop.