50 percent of teens experience online harassment; most online harassment occurs on Facebook
New York, NY, June 10, 2024 … More than half of all Americans - 56 percent - report experiencing online hate or harassment in their lifetimes, continuing an upward trend, according to ADL’s sixth annual Survey of Online Hate and Harassment – the highest rate since 2020.
At a time when antisemitic incidents are at historic levels, 34 percent of Jewish adults who were harassed online reported being targeted because of their religion in the past 12 months. In addition, 63 percent felt less safe than they did last year, and 41 percent have changed their online behavior to avoid being recognized as Jewish.
Rates of hate and harassment were highest among transgender (63 percent), LGBTQ+ (49 percent) and Muslim (47 percent) adults. The rate of harassment experienced last year was exceptionally high among transgender people, including 45 percent who experienced severe harassment.
Harassment of teens ages 13-17 remained steady at 50 percent this past year. Additionally, 59 percent of teens are worried about being harassed, threatened or otherwise targeted online. Teens are also more likely to agree or strongly agree that content that expresses hate (76 percent vs. 68 percent a year ago) or that encourages violence against a person or group because of their identity (79 percent vs. 72 percent) should be banned.
“The hate we’re seeing online, doesn’t stay online – it causes real harm and violence in peoples’ lives. It’s high time everyone stepped up to keep communities and marginalized groups safe from hate and harassment,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Despite many promises made by online platforms, hate and harassment are still plaguing the internet. Policymakers and big tech companies must deliver on their commitments to address hate and harassment online.”
Of those who reported being harassed, 61 percent indicated harassment took place on Facebook. Harassment remained at 27 percent on X (formerly Twitter) and rose on WhatsApp (up to 25 percent from 14 percent in 2023) and on Telegram (up to 13 percent from 7 percent in 2023).
“The hate and harassment being reported on online platforms is horrendous; it’s getting worse, and it’s likely only the tip of the iceberg,” said Daniel Kelley, Director of Strategy and Operations and Interim Head, ADL Center for Technology and Society. “Even more concerning is the fact that this deluge of hate is happening as the platforms continue to scale back their content moderation teams and there’s zero transparency surrounding how tech companies are enforcing their own rules.”
The survey of 2,479 individuals was conducted from January 19 through February 5, 2024, by YouGov, a leading public opinion and data analytics firm, on behalf of the ADL Center for Technology and Society. The results are weighted and representative of all Americans 18 and older. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points among the total sample.
The youth survey of 532 13–17-year-old teens was also conducted on behalf of ADL by YouGov from January 25 through February 5, 2024. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of youth is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. More at www.adl.org.