Latest news with #onlinehate
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Hate toward South Asians ‘skyrocketing' in Canada, report says
FILE - This combination of photos shows logos of X, formerly known as Twitter, top left; Snapchat, top right; Facebook, bottom left; and TikTok, bottom right. A federal judge extended a block on enforcement Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, of an Ohio law that would require children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps as a legal challenge proceeds. (AP Photo, File) There's been a sharp rise in online hate targeting the South Asian community in Canada, spurred in part by a domestic extremist group and the spread of anti-immigration messaging, according to a new report published by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD). 'We did see on X specifically that South Asians were really disproportionately targeted compared to some other ethnic and religious minorities' said Steven Rai, a domestic extremism analyst with ISD, in an interview with CTV News. The report — which found anti-South Asian the has 'been skyrocketing' both online and offline — is an analysis of high-level quantitative data specifically seeking posts with slurs targeting South Asian communities and filtering for those either coming from or referencing Canada. 'Our analysis found that posts containing anti-South Asian slurs increased by more than 1,350 percent from 2023 to 2024 on X (formerly Twitter), with police-reported hate crimes against South Asians in Canada increasing by more than 227 percent between 2019 and 2023 ,' the report states. Rai called the findings 'absolutely staggering.' He said the research also looked at other groups, for example Muslims, and the found hateful posts targeting those communities were stable in terms of quantity. 'That's not to say other forms of hate aren't incredibly important and concerning, but what really caught my eye here was just how much anti-South Asian hate specifically is rising,' Rai said. The report comes amid separate analysis by the ISD digging into online domestic extremism in Canada. The institute defines targeted hate as any activity that 'seeks to dehumanize, demonize, harass, threaten, or incite violence against an individual or community based on religion, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or migrant status.' Rai said he decided to do quantitative data analysis of posts targeting South Asians after he personally noticed an increase in hateful posts, and wanted to see whether the numbers supported his theory. 'And then I started to notice that the narratives painting Indians and other South Asian groups as invaders, as dirty, as criminals, really started to take off on social media,' he said. 'Unsurprisingly but unfortunately, we did see a really clear rise in the data beginning in late 2023 and over the course of 2024,' he added. According to the report, the posts also target South Asian politicians in Canada, with a spike in posts during the April federal election, in particular aimed at former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Rai said there are seemingly several factors affecting the issue, one of them being Canadians seemingly conflating concerns around the housing crisis, a lack of job opportunities and other economic anxieties as being the fault of immigration policy. 'And they're sort of linking what they perceive as a weakness in the Canadian economy to an influx in immigration,' Rai explained. 'So that's the first piece for a lot of Canadians.' 'And then they're looking at who are the most visible ethnic minorities in Canada, and we see a huge South Asian population there — in places like Brampton (Ont.) or Surrey (B.C.) — so South Asians have become visible targets for a lot of people who are looking for a scapegoat and for someone to blame for these economic problems,' he added. Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised a cap on immigration numbers, in part to ease pressure on the housing sector. The ISD report also included a case analysis of the white supremacist group Diagalon, which became prominent during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Canada, and the leaders of which Rai said 'are really heavily promoting this hate against Indian people, specifically.' According to the report, the dataset also found that Indian people specifically were targeted using language invoking the Great Replacement, an online conspiracy theory that elites are trying to deliberately change demographics by increasing non-white migration. Extending the data search to include not just posts within Canada, but also those mentioning the country, Rai said, allowed him to also see that Canada is also being held up as an example of what might happen when a country is supposedly 'overtaken' by 'non-white invaders.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The REAL reason Eamonn Holmes' girlfriend Katie Alexander, 43, was absent from the TRIC awards - after presenter, 65, was BOOED during his acceptance speech
Eamonn Holmes ' girlfriend Katie Alexander was noticeably absent from Tuesday night's Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) awards in order to 'protect her mental health'. The presenter, 65, was in attendance for the second year in a row at London's Grosvenor House to accept an accolade on behalf the GB News Breakfast Team. But - as Eamonn was wheeled around the venue on his wheelchair - his girlfriend of around a year was nowhere to be seen. Katie, who had travelled to London on Tuesday, took to her Instagram on the evening of the show to reveal the reason for her absence. Sharing a photo of her sat down in a cabin to her Stories, the 43-year-old wrote: 'Was going to The Tric Awards, but I'd rather protect my Mental Health and Inner Peace than be subjected to more online hate from people who don't know me.' His girlfriend of a year Katie Alexander, 43, was noticeably absent from the event despite being in London on Tuesday She then revealed that Eamonn's travel show co-host had instead gone in her place, as she concluded: 'Thank you to @hayleysparkestv for stepping in! You look gorgeous!' The marriage guidance counsellor, who began dating Eamonn in mid-2024, did however congratulate her love on his victory in a later post. 'Winner winner, Chicken dinner!' she penned on her Stories. Eamonn and GB News's triumph was not met with such a good reception at the venue however, as a chorus of boos rang out as the Northern Irishman accepted the accolade. One angry attendee even heckled Eamonn while he gave his acceptance speech. A source told MailOnline: 'After it was announced that GB News Breakfast had won, there were a few boos around the room. Due to his wheelchair, Eamonn needed a ramp to get up on the stage. 'He gave a moving speech about the work of colleague Charli Peters, who had earlier won News Presenter for his work on exposing grooming gangs in Britain. 'It was a nice moment seeing Eamonn pay tribute to a fellow news presenter, but it seemed someone in the audience didn't agree. 'They heckled for Eamonn to "get off," and it was an awkward end to his speech.' It was unclear whether the star heard the heckler as he gushed: 'For the thousands of people who voted, that is brilliant for us so we say thank you, thank you, thank you, to anyone who did bothered to vote.' It marks the second year in a row Eamonn has accepted the award in the News category at the viewer voted awards show. Last year he accepted the award aided by his walker as he in inferred that he had been stabbed in the back, telling the audience: 'So I got two things in my back that I didn't want,' seemingly referring to both his operation and his split from Ruth Langsford. The presenters shocked fans last May as they confirmed the end of their 14-year marriage. But despite quickly moving on with his new girlfriend, Eamonn had continued to wear his gold band on his wedding finger. Just a couple of weeks ago the presenter was spotted for the first time without the ring on while presenting GB News alongside co-star Ellie Costello. While he publicly ditched his jewellery for the on-air appearance, MailOnline understands that Eamonn does occasionally remove his ring off-camera. The star was also recently seen ring-less while attending the launch party of groundbreaking new luxury raffle company Anchord UK. It comes weeks after Ruth finally ditched her wedding ring almost a year after announcing their split. But since then, Ruth has resolutely kept her wedding and engagement rings on, even once declaring to a fan that she wouldn't remove them 'because I am still married.' On a recent episode of her ITV show Loose Women though, Ruth revealed the rings were off. Meanwhile, Eamonn's girlfriend Katie recently addressed a diamond ring on her wedding finger in new post shortly after going 'Instagram official' with their romance. The presenter and marriage guidance counsellor Katie have been dating since mid-2024, with engagement rumours swirling since December. And taking to her Instagram Stories, Katie posted a glowing selfie in a striped shirt, adding a playful thought bubble that read: 'Time for a coffee in between clients?' In the snap, a dazzling diamond ring was clearly visible - prompting questions from fans. But before any rumours could gather steam, Katie quickly shut them down. She clarified: 'Before anyone jumps to the #ringgate bandwagon, the camera is reversed so.... RightHandRingFinger!'
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Petkovic says betting a reason for online hate against tennis stars
German tennis player Andrea Petkovic in action against Belarus's Aliaksandra Sasnovich during their women's singles round of 16 match of the WTA German Open tournament at the Steffi Graf Stadium. Petkovic has blamed the sports betting industry as the main cause of online hate directed at tennis stars. Wolfgang Kumm/dpa Former German professional Andrea Petkovic has blamed the sports betting industry as the main cause of online hate directed at tennis stars. Several top tennis players have recently complained about a daily deluge of online aggression and Petkovic believes it is often gamblers who are upset with how matches pan out. Advertisement "These are people who apparently bet their entire salary on a player, on a match in a tournament – and don't even consider that this might not be a good idea," the former world number nine told the news portal T-Online on Saturday. According to a report by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), 8,000 social media comments were classified as abusive, threatening or violent last year. Of these, 40% came from "angry bettors." Petkovic, who is currently working as a director at the Berlin tennis tournament, is familiar with the vile messages from her active playing days. "Maybe 5% of all messages I received were actual threats. But the majority consisted of insults, abuse, and swearing. Once someone wrote 'I hope you die,'" Petkovic recounted. Advertisement The now 37-year-old was unable to prevent the hate on platforms such as Instagram. Her solution was novel. She said: "In the first 20 or 30 minutes after a match, you hand your phone to your mum, dad, boyfriend, girlfriend or coach – and they go through all the messages and comments that came in during that time. Then it starts: delete, block, delete, block. That can take 30 minutes sometimes." The psychological impact on tennis professionals should not be underestimated, according to Petkovic. "Nowadays, every tournament has a mental health support service, with phone numbers players can call," she explained.
Irish Times
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Women in Ireland increasingly subjected to online hate and misogyny, groups warn
Women in Ireland are increasingly subjected to online hate and misogyny amid a growing global backlash against women's rights, representative groups have warned. The National Women's Council (NWC), in consultation with more than 200 member groups including trade unions, professional bodies and grassroots organisations, have cited the spread of far-right discourse and anti-migrant sentiment as particularly threatening to women's rights in Ireland and globally. The organisation launched its new strategic plan for 2025-2029, Time to Act for Women's Rights and Equality, on Thursday. It said the use of social media to spread online hate and misogyny had become an issue in need of 'a response at the highest level'. READ MORE It also cited the use of artificial intelligence as posing a risk to 'women's online safety, to job security, and to the environment'. NWC president Orla O'Connor expressed concern about 'a hardening of discourses in relation to migrants and those seeking asylum and refugees', adding that 'there is a shift in relation to how we treat people coming to Ireland seeking international protection and a better future'. She also expressed concern about those experiencing war abroad. 'Women and children are bearing the brunt of war and conflict. In Gaza, we are witnessing a genocide taking place before our eyes.' The NWC noted that both the gender pay gap and the pension gap have remained high in Ireland, at 10 per cent and 35 per cent respectively. It cited the dominance of women in care professions and carrying out unpaid care responsibilities as contributing to these figures. [ Women still underrepresented on councils amid online abuse and lack of support Opens in new window ] Ms O'Connor acknowledged there had been 'important advances' in women's rights in Ireland over recent years, including with the introduction of the free contraception and hormone replacement therapy scheme. However, in other areas, she said 'the pace of change remains painfully slow'. 'Women make up more than half of the population but only represent 25 per cent of our TDs and 28 per cent of local councillors.' The strategic plan aims to 'promote human rights and equality, through mobilising, influencing and building solidarity'. The organisation has called on Government to prioritise decisive actions that will make a difference to women's lives such as the introduction of gender quotas for local election candidates, combating online misogyny and providing accessible housing and accommodation to those in need.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Why is Bella Ramsey getting so much hate online?
The second season of HBO's hit series The Last of Us wrapped up on Sunday with a dramatic finale. But in recent weeks, the show's star Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, has become the target of a significant amount of online criticism and ridicule. Worse, a lot of it has been specifically directed at their non-binary identity. Today on Commotion, culture reporter Kat Tenbarge explains how the online hate campaign against Bella Ramsey got so bad.
