This paper investigates how the 2020 U.S. presidential election impacted the global online hate universe. The study reveals that offline events triggered rapid adaptations in this online ecosystem, strengthening its network structure and the types of hate content produced. Approximately 50 million accounts in hate communities were drawn closer together and to a broader mainstream, with increased hate speech targeting immigration, ethnicity, and antisemitism. Telegram played a key role in this process, highlighting the need for more proactive and comprehensive anti-hate strategies that consider the multi-dimensional nature of the hate universe.

Akshay Verma, Richard Sear, Neil Johnson