Hate on the Net – Virtual nursery for in Real Life Crime

INACH Booklet, OSCE-Conference in Paris, 16.-17.06.2004

(10.06.04) It comes as no surprise that the internet is being used to recruit, disseminate and incite hatred. Internet is the biggest information and communication device in the world and Neo-Nazi's saw the potential in its very early stages, using Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) already in the pre-world wide web age. By now, the amount of extremist websites runs in the tens of thousands. Hate on the Net has become a virtual nursery for In Real Life crime, the ‘Real Life’ bit becoming a moot point, since the Internet is an integral part of society, not a separate entity. It is just the latest in communication and dissemination tools which can, as any other tool, be used or abused.

In this booklet, which was compiled by the members, candidate-members and co-operation partners of the International Network Against Cyber Hate for the OSCE Conference on the relationship between racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic propaganda on the Internet and hate crimes in Paris, June 16-17.06.2004, you will find an overview of cases in which incitement on the Internet led to crime In Real Life, to racist developments or the worsening of relations between groups in society. You will see examples of how the Internet is being used by extremists for recruitment, command and control, planning actions and spreading their rhetoric. This overview is not complete and does not aim to be, but will give the reader an idea of the scope of the problem, the methods and rhetoric that are being used and the dangers that stem from incitement in general.