There has been an unprecedented 12-fold increase in hateful social media content being referred to specialist police officers since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, according to the UK’s Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit.
Once focused on propaganda shared by the Islamic State group (IS) and the fall-out online following UK-based attacks, much of the unit’s focus has shifted to assessing whether hateful and extreme social media posts breach anti-terror legislation.
The team says it has received more than 2,700 referrals from the public – shared via an online form – since Hamas attacked Israel, and Israel launched waves of air strikes on the Gaza Strip in return.
It is an intensification of hate that leaves young Britons increasingly exposed to radicalisation by algorithm.
The BBC was given exclusive access to the team’s work. Officers told me they are being referred mainly antisemitic content being posted and shared by young Britons who have not been on their radar before.
They described a real “intensification” in hate, especially from “youngsters” behaving in what they describe as a reckless way online.
