Web of Hate

The report analyzes online gendered abuse in the US during 2022, focusing on events like the Depp v. Heard trial and the reversal of Roe v. Wade. It finds that these events acted as catalysts for misogynistic content, particularly targeting women in politics and those with intersecting identities. The study highlights the role of influencers like Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes in spreading hate and criticizes social media platforms for inconsistent enforcement of their hate speech policies, especially in comment sections and regarding non-textual content.

• Certain high-profile events in 2022 served as primary catalysts for misogynistic speech, with the highest volumes of abuse linked to the Depp v. Heard trial, the US midterm elections, and political figures such as Nancy Pelosi and Liz Cheney.
• Women in politics, particularly Democrats and women of color, were targeted by gendered disinformation across all analyzed platforms, with Telegram identified as being especially toxic.
• Women with intersecting identities faced compounded abuse; for example, over 80% of analyzed Facebook posts regarding trans athlete Lia Thomas were classified as transphobic, and Brittney Griner was targeted with a combination of racism, homophobia, and misgendering.
• A small group of influential actors, including Andrew Tate, Jack Posobiec, and Nick Fuentes, significantly drive the spread of misogynistic rhetoric, often bypassing platform restrictions through fan accounts or alternative platforms.
• The prevalence of misogyny in image and video formats exposes the inadequacy of text-based content moderation, particularly on Facebook and Telegram where violent imagery often lacks accompanying misogynistic keywords in captions.
• Misogynistic content often utilizes a cross-platform strategy, using platforms like Telegram to redirect users to other sites such as TikTok or BitChute to ensure content remains accessible after removal from mainstream sites.
• While major platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok) have policies against gendered abuse, enforcement is inconsistent and often fails to address toxic comment sections and replies.
• Telegram is characterized by the most permissive environment for misogyny due to a lack of specific policies against misogynistic speech and images and a 'hands-off' approach to moderation.

APA

Martiny, C., Simmons, C., Visser, F., Bhatnagar, R., Jones, I., & Small, A. C. (2023). Web of Hate. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Web-of-Hate_A-Retrospective-Study-of-Online-Gendered-Abuse-in-2022-in-the-United-States_update.pdf

Chicago

Martiny, Clara, Cécile Simmons, Francesca Visser, Rhea Bhatnagar, Isabel Jones, and Allison Castillo Small. Web of Hate. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2023. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Web-of-Hate_A-Retrospective-Study-of-Online-Gendered-Abuse-in-2022-in-the-United-States_update.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martiny |first1=Clara |last2=Simmons |first2=Cécile |last3=Visser |first3=Francesca |last4=Bhatnagar |first4=Rhea |last5=Jones |first5=Isabel |last6=Small |first6=Allison Castillo |title=Web of Hate |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=2023 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Web-of-Hate_A-Retrospective-Study-of-Online-Gendered-Abuse-in-2022-in-the-United-States_update.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martiny2023web, author = {Martiny, Clara and Simmons, Cécile and Visser, Francesca and Bhatnagar, Rhea and Jones, Isabel and Small, Allison Castillo}, title = {{Web of Hate}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Web-of-Hate_A-Retrospective-Study-of-Online-Gendered-Abuse-in-2022-in-the-United-States_update.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }