Briefings
OHPI briefings provide quick responses to breaking issues, or short but detailed explanations on focused topics. Our briefings are original OHPI content originally published on this site.
-
European Protests and the Spread of Online Hate
The last two months have seen escalating protests across France. The demonstrations began in the name of improving educational standards, but have since expanded to include a host of other economic, political and social issues. While the protests have reportedly been largely peaceful, in the last few weeks they have also started to feature significant…
-
A Live-Streamed Execution: Would Social Media Platforms Have Protected Australian Users?
In 2009, Nidal Hasan, a US Army Major and psychiatrist, killed 13 US Military personnel and injured dozens more after opening fire at military base Fort Hood, Texas. Hasan claimed that he had carried out the attack to stop American soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan and killing fellow Muslims. In 2013, Hasan was convicted of…
-
Disturbing Responses to Attempted Hindu Temple Shooting
On Sunday 11th of October, Police arrested a 19 year old in a small village in Illinois who was charged with planning a mass shooting at a local Hindu Temple. Earlier that day, the suspect had messaged a colleague, telling him that he had been at the Temple but that his gun had jammed, and…
-
Up-Coming report from the Online Hate Prevention Institute: Online Antisemitism 3 Years on from October 7
Three years ago today, on 7 October 2023, Hamas led a major terrorist attack in Israel, killing 1,195 people including 36 children, injuring many more, and committing the war crime of hostage taking. The Online Hate Prevention Institute remembers the victims, the survivors, the families of those killed and taken, and all those affected by…
-
Extremism in Canada on Yom Kippur
On Sunday Night a gunman opened fire on the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville in Ontario, Canada. It was Erev Yom Kippur, the evening marking the start of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. This is the festival when synagogue attendance is at its highest. The attack has echoes of the 2019 Yom…
-
“Free Speech” Selectively Enforced on X
The Ongoing Effects of Musk’s X Acquisition Following Melon Musk’s acquisition and rebranding of Twitter to ‘X’ in October of 2022, policies governing safety and conduct were changed or discarded, and the number of engineers tasked specifically with “trust and safety issues” was reduced from 279 at the time of Musk’s acquisition to 55 in…
-
Sadistic Online Networks Targeting Vulnerable Children
Content Sensitivity Warning This briefing includes themes of animal cruelty, child exploitation, sexual abuse, and suicide. If you have seen disturbing content online or are having distressing thoughts, you can reach Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. The Australian Federal Police has published a guide to Understanding Sadistic Online…
-
Antisemitism at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Argentina Case Study
How the world game became a vehicle for online antisemitism “One of the marks of antisemitism is an ability to believe stories that could not possibly be true” – George Orwell Executive summary The 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted old conspiracies in updated garb. Disputed refereeing decisions, distrust of FIFA, and hostility towards Argentina were…
-
NAIDOC WEEK IN FOCUS – The Online Hate Spiral Targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
NAIDOC WEEK IN FOCUS Content Sensitivity Warning This briefing discusses the deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in police custody, including specific cases involving fatal violence. It contains direct examples of racist, dehumanising, and hateful online commentary, reproduced for analytical purposes. Readers are advised that names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait…
-
Instagram Misogyny Targets Women in Sport
Women’s Football Faces a Wave of Online Abuse As women’s football continues to grow its fanbase, players at both amateur and professional levels are receiving more attention online. But alongside this rise in visibility has come a sharp increase in abuse, with the growth of women’s sport mirrored by a growing backlash against it. The…