Hatescape: An In-Depth Analysis of Extremism and Hate Speech on TikTok

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) analyzed 1,030 TikTok videos to assess the state of hate and extremism on the platform. The research found significant amounts of content promoting white supremacy, glorifying terrorists and fascists, and denying genocides. The report highlights a substantial 'enforcement gap,' noting that 81.5% of the sampled hateful videos remained live during the study. It further details how TikTok's creative tools—such as Duets, Stitches, and specific 'Sounds'—are repurposed to spread hate, and how users employ evasion tactics like 'respawned' accounts and alternative hashtag spellings to bypass bans.

• White supremacy was the most prevalent category of hate in the sample, with 312 videos (30%) promoting ideologies such as the 'Great Replacement' and 'white genocide' conspiracy theories.
• A significant portion of the sample glorified extremist or terrorist figures; 246 videos (24%) featured the praise or promotion of individuals and groups including Adolf Hitler, ISIS, and Brenton Tarrant.
• Terrorist propaganda is discoverable on the platform, including 30 videos supporting Brenton Tarrant (some containing his original footage) and 8 videos originally released by ISIS, including drone footage of car bomb attacks.
• TikTok's creative features are actively used to spread hate: 27% of the sample used specific Sounds and 17% utilized Duet/Stitch functions or video effects to promote extremist content.
• There is a notable enforcement gap in content moderation, as 81.5% of the sampled hateful and extremist videos remained live at the time of writing, while only 18.5% were removed.
• Extremist creators use their profiles to signal ideologies, with 33% of analyzed accounts featuring references to hate or extremism in usernames, images, or biographies.
• Users employ various evasion tactics to bypass bans, including creating 'respawned' accounts with slightly altered usernames (e.g., adding 'v' and a number), restricting comments to avoid reports, and using alternative hashtag spellings.
• The research identified a trend of using 'vaporwave-inspired' retro and vintage filters to evoke nostalgia for a perceived 'purer' past with less diversity, often accompanying far-right narratives.
• COVID-19 misinformation and conspiracies were used to target and threaten public health officials, including calls for the execution of Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates.

APA

O’Connor, C. (2021). Hatescape: An In-Depth Analysis of Extremism and Hate Speech on TikTok. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/HateScape_v5.pdf

Chicago

O’Connor, Ciarán. Hatescape: An In-Depth Analysis of Extremism and Hate Speech on TikTok. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2021. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/HateScape_v5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=O’Connor |first1=Ciarán |title=Hatescape: An In-Depth Analysis of Extremism and Hate Speech on TikTok |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=2021 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/HateScape_v5.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{oconnor2021hatescape, author = {O’Connor, Ciarán}, title = {{Hatescape: An In-Depth Analysis of Extremism and Hate Speech on TikTok}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/HateScape_v5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }