Online hate speech has been a topic of public concern and research interest for some time. This report presents findings from Netsafe’s 2019 research regarding the personal experiences of adult New Zealanders in relation to online hate speech. Online hate speech affects groups unequally and some people are experiencing serious harm as a result. People can disagree or have an alternate viewpoint online, but when actions become harmful there should be support, resolution and even prosecution options available.

Key findings

• Overall, 15% of New Zealand adults reported having been personally targeted with online hate speech in the last 12 months.
• Over one third of personal experiences of online hate speech occurred after the Christchurch attacks.
• Half of Muslim respondents said they were personally targeted with online hate in the last 12 months. Prevalence was also more common among Hindus.
• People with disabilities and identifying as non-heterosexuals were also targeted at higher rates.
• Over 8 in 10 adults believe that social media platforms should do more to stop online hate speech.