Nearly half of EU youngsters exposed to online abuse, new report finds

Young Europeans remain highly vulnerable to online hate.

In 2023, 49% of the EU population aged 16 to 29 encountered online messages considered hostile towards certain groups or individuals.

The highest rates were found in Estonia (69%), Denmark (68%), Finland (68%), France (65%) and Slovakia (65%).

Twelve of the 23 countries with available data have recorded rates above 50%, Eurostat reports.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Croatia (24%), Romania (27%), and Bulgaria (31%) are the only countries where less than a third of the population was exposed to hate speech.

In most cases, hate speech was linked to political or social views, with an average of 35% across the EU. This category was the largest in Estonia (60%), Finland (56%) and Denmark (49%).

Hostile messages targeting the LGBTQ+ community reached an average of 32% of young adults in the EU. The highest percentages were recorded in Estonia (46%), Slovakia, and Portugal (44%).

Also, 30% of young adults in the EU faced racial hate messages, with the Netherlands and Portugal being the most affected countries, each reporting 45%.