Spain reports more than 40,000 online hate posts in June
Online hate speech increased in Spain as OBERAXE monitored discriminatory narratives across major digital platforms.
Spain’s Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE) detected more than 40,800 pieces of online hate speech and discriminatory content in June 2026, according to its latest social media monitoring bulletin.
Using data collected through Spain’s FARO monitoring system, the analysis found that public insecurity remained the main driver of discriminatory narratives, accounting for 69% of detected content. Sport accounted for a further 16%, with racist and Islamophobic abuse increasing during the FIFA World Cup, including attacks targeting Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal.
The report found that 89% of monitored messages contained explicitly aggressive language, while nearly one-third included images, videos, memes or coded language that can facilitate the spread of hateful content and make automated detection more difficult.
OBERAXE also recorded a significant rise in dehumanising narratives, which represented 48% of monitored content, alongside messages portraying targeted groups as threats or promoting expulsions and violence.
People of North African origin remained the primary target of online hate speech, representing 88% of analysed content, followed by Muslims and people of African descent.
The report also highlighted persistent false or misleading narratives linking migrants to crime, public disorder and insecurity, with debates over immigration policy and migrant regularisation further fuelling discriminatory online discussions.
Platform responses varied considerably. Overall, 61% of reported content was removed, slightly below the previous month’s rate. TikTok recorded the highest removal rate (98%), followed by X (93%), Facebook (62%), Instagram (32%) and YouTube (8%).
OBERAXE also found that content reported through trusted flagger mechanisms was significantly more likely to be removed than content reported by individual users, highlighting the value of institutional cooperation between public authorities and online platforms.
Why does it matter?
The findings illustrate the continuing scale of online hate speech targeting migrants and racialised communities in Spain, while showing how offline events such as major sporting competitions and migration debates can amplify discriminatory narratives online.
The report also underlines the growing importance of trusted flagger mechanisms, platform accountability and AI-assisted monitoring in implementing online safety policies. The wide variation in platform removal rates suggests that moderation practices remain inconsistent, reinforcing the role of regulatory oversight and cooperation between public authorities and digital platforms.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!