Counterspeech encouraging users to adopt the perspective of minority groups reduces hate speech and its amplification on social media (scientific reports)

Intergroup animosity is common online, but there is still little data on how to combat it. With an emphasis on tactics that encourage users to embrace minority viewpoints, this study examines counterspeech as a means of reducing hate speech. Three perspective-centered strategies—traditional, analogical, and perspective-getting—increased tweet deletion and decreased likes in a randomized trial that targeted 2,102 xenophobic tweets, but had no influence on future behavior. The effects of analogical perspective-taking were marginally better than those of disapproving messages that did not include perspective changes. In light of less content control, these findings provide insights into user-led strategies for reducing online animosity.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-05041-w