Manchester City Council

Crime, antisocial behaviour and nuisance Hate crime awareness

Online hate crime

The internet is a great way for people to connect. It can also be a space where hate crimes and incidents occur. Hate crimes can happen across social media, gaming spaces, chat forums, group chats, and more. 

Online hate can spread fast, often reaching far more people than offline incidents. It can damage community cohesion, create fear, and cause real harm. 

Examples of Online Hate Crimes and Incidents: 

  • A social media post inciting violence against a specific ethnic group. 
  • Abusive messages targeting someone because of their sexual orientation. 
  • A website promoting hatred and discrimination against people with disabilities. 
  • Threats directed at someone due to their religious beliefs in an online game. 
  • Hateful comments on video streaming platforms aimed at hurting trans individuals. 

What you can do 

You don’t need to be certain whether something is a crime to take action. If you see hateful content online that targets someone based on: 

  • Race 
  • Religion, faith, or belief 
  • Sexual orientation 
  • Transgender identity 
  • Disability 
  • Alternative subculture* 

*Greater Manchester Police record and monitor incidents of hate toward alternative subcultures. 

You can and should report it to: 

In an emergency, call the police on 999. Otherwise,