A/HRC/62/55/Add.1 2. Hate speech, including online racist hate speech 44. The Special Rapporteur received disturbing reports of hate speech against all marginalized racial and ethnic groups. A key trend that was described to her is a significant increase in online racist hate speech, including manifestations invoking antisemitism, anti-Asian racism, anti-Black racism, discrimination against Roma and Sinti communities, Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism and anti-Palestinian racism. 10 Global events and trends, including the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and migration debates, were all identified as contributing to the increase in online hate speech. The presence of neo-Nazi and other extreme right-wing groups in Austria is also a driver, as these groups use online platforms to spread hateful narratives. Online environments facilitate the rapid spread and amplification of hateful content through algorithms, the use of coded language and the circulation of online content, such as videos and memes, which contribute to the normalization of racist narratives. The impact of online racist hate speech is not confined to the digital sphere. It can translate into offline discrimination, harassment and violence against targeted communities, particularly when online content reaches the threshold for incitement. 45. The Special Rapporteur was also deeply concerned to hear about hate speech deployed by politicians and about hateful, racist sentiments, including anti-immigrant propaganda, being common in the media. The use of inflammatory or exclusionary rhetoric by political actors and its amplification in certain media outlets further contributes to legitimizing and normalizing racist discourse by lowering the threshold for hate speech in public debate. 46. The Special Rapporteur commends the Government for the measures it has taken to address hate speech. These include Criminal Code provisions relating to hate crime and incitement to hatred, the 2021 Act to Combat Hate on the Internet, the implementation of a new, improved hate crime recording system in 2021 and the establishment of the National No Hate Speech Committee to address online hate. She also welcomes information received about projects implemented by the federal, Länder and city governments to address hate speech. Despite these measures, stakeholders reported challenges including underreporting, barriers to accessing complaint mechanisms, and inconsistencies in the investigation and prosecution of hate speech cases. The Special Rapporteur stresses the need to step up enforcement of the relevant legal standards and to further expand non-legal measures, such as “counter speech”, increasing digital literacy, training and awareness-raising programmes and psychosocial support for those who are impacted by hate speech. 3. Racial discrimination within law enforcement agencies and custodial settings 47. The Special Rapporteur received multiple reports of racial profiling by law enforcement officials, including of people of African descent, Muslims and people perceived as being Muslim. Some 49% of people of African descent in Austria reported being stopped by the police in the five years preceding the most recent “Being Black in the EU” survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. 11 European Union-wide data published in the Agency’s 2024 Being Muslim in the EU report demonstrated widespread racial profiling of Muslims. Around half of the Muslims surveyed for that report, from across European Union countries, indicated that they had been racially and ethnically profiled. 12 Racially motivated identity checks often affect the same people multiple times and usually form part of a broader spectrum of racially motivated law enforcement activities. These practices may reflect systemic patterns, particularly when certain groups are repeatedly targeted across different policing contexts. The impacts of these systemic practices on affected communities are cumulative and, as a result, trust between them and law enforcement agencies can be low. This erosion of trust may lead to underreporting of crime, reduced cooperation with law enforcement and broader social exclusion. 48. Given key international legal provisions prohibiting racial profiling, the Special Rapporteur commends Austria for its recognition of the issue. This includes the 10 11 12 12 CRC/C/AUT/CO/5-6, paras. 16, 17 and 25. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Being Black in the EU. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Being Muslim in the EU.