Human rights context in Slovakia

Slovakia is facing increasing concerns over the state of democracy, human rights, and media freedom. Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government has been criticised for weakening judicial independence, proposing laws that limit NGO activities, and attempting to increase government control over public media. These developments have led to public protests and warnings from international human rights organisations about a shrinking civic space.

Within this broader context, Roma communities remain among the most marginalised groups, facing systemic discrimination in housing, education, and employment. The rise of far-right political rhetoric and unchecked online hate speech further contributes to their exclusion.

TAAO project: Monitoring antigypsyist hate speech in Slovakia

Between October and December 2024, the Roma Research and Advocacy Centre in Skalica (RAVS) monitored 159 cases of online antigypsyist hate speech in Slovakia as part of the TAAO project. The study analysed social media platforms, hate speech intensity, and how platforms responded to reports.

Where does hate speech spread?

The report identified the main platforms where antigypsyist hate speech appeared:

• Facebook – 22 cases from personal accounts, 8 from online media, 4 from institutional accounts, and 2 from public figures.
• Twitter (X) – 4 cases, including content from public figures.
• Instagram – 10 cases from personal accounts and 1 from an institutional account.
• YouTube – 40 cases, including posts from public figures.
• TikTok – 45 cases, making it the most problematic platform.

The high volume of antigypsyist hate speech on YouTube and TikTok suggests that visual content—videos, memes, and live streams—plays a key role in spreading harmful narratives.

Main narratives of online antigypsyism

The 159 cases of hate speech in Slovakia revolved around several dominant themes:

• Criminalisation of Roma – 81 cases linked Roma to crime, reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
• Welfare and social benefits – 33 cases falsely claimed that Roma unfairly exploit welfare systems.
• Education and schooling – 16 cases negatively portrayed Roma children in schools.
• Health and sanitation – 15 cases framed Roma as a public health risk.
• Political representation – 17 cases attacked Roma political participation, questioning their legitimacy.

These narratives not only perpetuate negative stereotypes but also contribute to the exclusion of Roma from public life.

How intense is the hate speech?

The report classified hate speech into different levels of intensity:

• Crude epithets – 73 cases classified as strong, 36 as extremely strong.
• Dehumanising language – 57 cases strong, 42 extremely strong.
• Mockery and sarcasm – 22 strong cases, 29 extremely strong.
• Appeals to violence – 5 cases acceptable, 2 strong.

This shows that many cases involve severe forms of hate speech, not just subtle or implicit discrimination.

Platform response: A pattern of inaction

Despite the high level of hate speech, social media platforms failed to take action in most cases:

• Only 44 out of 159 cases were reported.
• No content was removed from Instagram and YouTube.
• Facebook removed only one case.

A monitor working on the project noted:

“The failure of platforms to act allows hate speech to spread unchecked. Users reporting racist content often receive automated responses saying it ‘does not violate community guidelines.’ This is unacceptable.”

Counter-speech and resistance

While hate speech remains widespread, some users engaged in counter-speech:

• 10 cases saw users actively challenging racist narratives.
• 50 cases involved exposing hate speech tactics.
• Only 26 cases were reported to authorities, reflecting a lack of trust in institutional responses.

Conclusion: urgent action is needed

The TAAO project’s findings in Slovakia highlight the unchecked spread of antigypsyist hate speech and the failure of platform moderation. The criminalisation of Roma, false welfare narratives, and dehumanising language remain widespread, with little intervention from authorities or tech companies.

To combat this, stronger measures are needed:

• Social media companies must consistently remove hate speech and enforce their policies.
• Slovak authorities must strengthen legal protections against online hate speech.
• Users must be empowered to challenge racism and demand accountability from platforms.

Without urgent action, Slovakia will remain a space where Roma communities face widespread online discrimination with no consequences for the perpetrators.