Hate speech is already part of the online environment young people grow up in.
In 2025, 53.7% of EU internet users aged 16–24 encountered hostile or degrading content online, according to Eurostat. The most common targets were political or social views and racial or ethnic origin.
That is one of the reasons UNITY project exists.
Because preventing hate speech is not only about telling young people what not to say. It is about helping them recognise manipulation, question what they see, understand different perspectives and make thoughtful choices before they react — or hit share.
And the challenge keeps changing. In the Netherlands, a recent court case involved a 13-year-old who used AI to create racist videos depicting a teacher and shared them on TikTok.
The platforms change. The tools change. Harmful content changes with them.
So young people need more than rules. They need media literacy, critical thinking and empathy — skills that help them navigate an online world where information, opinions and hostility can arrive in the same scroll.
That’s the kind of resilience UNITY is interested in.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.