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Lisa Paus from the Greens: She will present the study entitled “Loud Hate – Quiet Withdrawal” on Tuesday in Berlin

Photo: Filip Singer / EPA

A comprehensive survey by the “Competence Network Against Hate on the Internet” shows how much hate speech, threats and hate speech are changing user behavior on the Internet. Because of the fear of such reactions, a little more than half of the users are less likely to express their own political opinions online, take part in discussions less often and consciously formulate their own contributions more cautiously. 82 percent of those surveyed fear that hate on the Internet endangers diversity on the Internet.

Around half of all participants in the study have already been insulted online. According to the results, people with a recognizable migration background, young women and queer people are affected more than average. According to the survey, almost every second young woman has received a nude photo without asking.

The study entitled “Loud Hate – Quiet Withdrawal” will be presented on Tuesday morning by Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus in Berlin and was available to SPIEGEL in advance. It is a representative survey of more than 3,000 people carried out last autumn.

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According to the makers of the study, it is the most comprehensive survey on the consequences of online hate in Germany since 2019. Several organizations committed to the topic have contributed to the “Competence Network against Online Hate,” which commissioned the survey like Das Nettz, HateAid and the New German Media Makers.

“Intimidation, especially of right-wing extremist forces”

“Our study shows that the strategy of intimidation, especially by right-wing extremist forces online, is unfortunately effective,” says Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, who co-founded the organization HateAid. "People are withdrawing from the Internet in the face of polarization and hate speech, but an open and democratic discussion space would be more important than ever today."

What politicians have been doing to combat hate online is not enough, says von Hodenberg. According to their assessment, the Digital Services Act will not be enough to effectively contain the problem. With the law, the EU wants to ensure that the large internet companies do more to combat hate speech and disinformation.

According to the study results, hate online has increased in recent years despite numerous political and legislative initiatives. At least around 89 percent of those surveyed shared this assessment.

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