Far-right influencers and the platforms that enable them

During this event, we introduce our recent report In the Name of Cow: State of Haryana Dispatch, which explores the phenomenon of cow vigilantism gone viral. What used to be an isolated phenomenon, lynching and other violent attacks committed against religious minorities accused of consuming cows or transporting them for consumption, has now exploded across the online space. Facilitated by social media sites that fail to enforce their DOI policies and fuelled by the political weight of local elections, almost nowhere is this change more visible than in the so-called Hindi Belt.

In addition to launching our report, we bring together experts who follow the global trend of far-right influencers, their rising importance in democracies across the world, platforms’ inability or unwillingness to enforce their community guidelines, and the real-world consequences of these influencers’ popularity and fame. We’ll address questions such as:

• What makes these influences so popular with their target audiences?
• How do they use hate (speech) to drum up support?
• What real-world consequences do these influencers have?
• How do we stop this phenomenon? and
• What should platforms do to stop hate speech and violence?

This event takes place on 15 November at 14.00-15.30 CET at the Hague Humanity Hub.

Registration required.

Speakers will be announced shortly.