Hate on the Internet in Austria: Over 1,700 Cases Last Year

The association ZARA - Civil Courage and Anti-Racism Work presented its 8th "Against Hate on the Net Report" on Wednesday evening. In the period from September 2024 to August 2025, 1,716 reports of online hate were documented. Since the founding of the counseling center "AgainstHateOnTheNet" in 2017, a total of 15,113 cases have been recorded. Most cases were racially motivated (53 percent), followed by "non-ideologically motivated hate" (31) and sexism (6).

Almost Half of the Reports Are Criminal

46 percent (798 cases) of the hate reports were classified by the NGO as (criminally) legally relevant, 54 percent as not legally relevant. Among the reports classified as criminally relevant, insults were the most common (30 percent), followed by incitement (17 percent) and cyberbullying (10 percent). Violations of the Prohibition Act accounted for nine percent of the reports, dangerous threats five percent, and (cyber) stalking three percent. Another 26 percent fell under "other criminally relevant offenses," according to ZARA.

Rule of Law Fails on the Issue of Online Hate

This year's report focused on the topic "Lawful but Awful." It highlights how even legally permissible content on the net can "hurt people, silence them, and overall prevent a fair, democratic discourse," according to ZARA.

"Legal online hate shapes the everyday life of many people and makes visible where the rule of law reaches its limits when it comes to protecting human dignity. It is precisely at this intersection that ZARA's work begins: We listen, advise, and act where other systems do not apply," explained ZARA's managing director Rita Isiba according to the association's press release.

Women Particularly Affected

According to the report, ZARA conducted 1,985 individual consultations for affected individuals and witnesses in the last counseling year. This included particularly psychosocial counseling as well as the legal assessment of hate reports. The counseling center requested the removal of hate posts 404 times, according to the report.

According to ZARA, women and those perceived as female are particularly affected by hate on the net. At the same time, they are particularly active in reporting: 70 percent of online hate reports at ZARA come from non-male individuals, it was stated.

(APA/Red)

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