Dutch parliamentarians normalising use of discriminatory language online
Online use of discriminatory language is on the rise, partly because politicians in the Dutch parliament use it, according to the State Commission on Discrimination and Racism, citing research from the University of Amsterdam. Racist and discriminatory attacks targeting Muslims and Jews have especially increased following remarks in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.
Researchers analyzed roughly 1 million YouTube comments on media channels, news articles, and parliamentary speeches and interjections from 2014 to 2024. This is the first large-scale study to show a connection between discriminatory remarks in the Tweede Kamer, and online discrimination.
The research identifies a triangle between politicians, online responses, and newspapers. Politicians exert the strongest influence on language both online and in print, while YouTube comments shape politicians’ statements but have minimal effect on newspaper content.
The State Commission warns of a risk of a “downward spiral in which discriminatory language becomes increasingly ‘normal’,” calling it a cause for concern. “Politicians, journalists, social media platforms, and their users share responsibility for a public debate conducted according to principles of equality,” said commission chair Joyce Sylvester.
The researchers found that the influence is most pronounced for racism and anti-Muslim or anti-Jewish discrimination, while the effect is less significant for sexism or discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.
The commission advises in its report that politicians, social media users, and platform companies need to set clearer limits on discriminatory language and enforce them more strictly.
