Facebook was a catalyst for anti-migrant violence in Germany, study concludes
- Researchers examined 3,335 attacks on refugees in Germany over two years
- Hate crimes increased in areas with greater Facebook use during periods of high online anti-refugee sentiment, University of Warwick study found
- Follows Angela Merkel’s decision in 2015 to open borders to a million migrants
Facebook fuelled anti-migrant violence in Germany, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Warwick examined more than 3,300 attacks on refugees that took place in the country over a two-year period.
They found that during periods of high online anti-refugee sentiment, areas with greater Facebook usage saw an increase in violence towards migrants.
This turned out to be the case in communities ranging from large cities to small towns regardless of factors such as the area’s wealth or general political outlook.
Authors concluded social media can act as a catalyst for violence aimed at migrants.
Facebook may have been a catalyst for anti-migrant violence in Germany, according to a new study (file picture)
The study follows German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2015 decision to open borders to more than a million migrants – many of them refugees from war zones in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
The study, called ‘Fanning the Flames of Hate: Social Media and Hate Crime’, found that ‘anti-refugee hate crimes increase disproportionally in areas with higher Facebook usage during periods of high anti-refugee sentiment online.
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‘This effect is especially pronounced for violent incidents against refugees, such as arson and assault.’
According to the New York Times, data from the study showed that in communities where Facebook use was one standard deviation greater than Germany’s per-person average, anti-migrant attacks went up around 50 per cent.
Study authors Karsten Müller and Carlo Schwarz wrote: ‘Our results suggest that social media can act as a propagation mechanism between online hate speech and real-life violent crime.’
Researchers at the University of Warwick examined more than 3,300 attacks on refugees that took place in the country over a two-year period (file picture)
In their conclusion, they say their findings ‘suggest that social media has not only become a fertile soil for the spread of hateful ideas but also motivates real-life action.’
The study shows that ‘volatile, short-lived bursts in sentiment within a given location have substantial effects on people’s behaviour, and that social media may play a role in their propagation,’ the authors added.
The Times reports that experts independent of the study had described the findings as ‘credible’ and ‘rigorous’.
It highlighted an example in the German town of Altena where a young trainee firefighter, who had not previously displayed hostility towards migrants, tried to start a blaze after breaking into the attic of a refugee house.
Prosecutors, drawing on data found from his phone, later argued Dirk Denkhaus had become immersed in an environment of anger and fear online that may have helped to encourage his actions.
The newspaper said it was common in the town to see rumours on Facebook painting refugees as being a threat. A volunteer who set up a Facebook page asking for food donations for refugees in the town reported that it soon became swamped with anti-migrant remarks.
She said she was not surprised to hear of a study linking Facebook use to acts of violence aimed at refugees.
Facebook did not address the study directly after being contacted by the New York Times, but told the newspaper in an email: ‘Our approach on what is allowed on Facebook has evolved over time and continues to change as we learn from experts in the field.’
Last year, the firm’s chief security officer said Facebook was shutting down one million accounts every day in its bid to banish hate speech.
The same year, Mark Zuckerberg announced the hiring of 3,000 more moderaters.
In April, he said Facebook will have AI tools within five to ten year capable of automatically flagging and removing hate speech before it appears.
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