Racism on the Internet documented by CRAVE
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The survey was conducted by Léger Opinion – LEO, from November 12 to 27, 2025, among 200 respondents.
A new study by the Centre de recherche-action pour le vivre-ensemble (CRAVE) reveals that nearly three in four Black people in Quebec report having been victims or witnesses of racist and anti-immigrant remarks or actions online. The survey was conducted by Léger Opinion – LEO, from November 12 to 27, 2025, among 200 respondents.
"Cyber-racism is not a marginal phenomenon. It is part of deep social dynamics, fueled by prejudices and stereotypes that are now being transposed into the digital space," says CRAVE president Guillaume Ambroise.
Faced with this reality, CRAVE says it intends to act through research, education, and community action with the goal of "documenting in order to better raise awareness and propose solutions for building a more inclusive society that respects the dignity of all."
The results show that digital platforms play a central role in the spread of racialized content. Facebook dominates overwhelmingly (63%), particularly among those aged 36–55, which aligns with usage trends observed in other Canadian and international studies.
Visual platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, widely used by young people, also constitute major spaces for the circulation of racialized content, often in the form of memes, viral videos, or denigrating comments.
These observations echo the work of Jakubowicz et al. (2017), which demonstrates that digital environments promote the virality of hate speech, particularly when embedded in humorous or pseudo-playful formats.
The emotional impacts of cyber-racism are particularly pronounced. Anxiety affects 67% of respondents, with greater intensity among those aged 18–35, which aligns with the findings of Canadian research on the psychological effects of systemic and digital racism (Cranston & Bennett, 2024). Disgust represents the most intense reaction: 61% of respondents report having felt it "a lot" or "enormously."
This reaction, particularly strong among young adults and seniors, reflects a sense of moral violation and a profound revulsion toward racist remarks. These results align with the observations of Perry (2017), who emphasizes that online racism acts as a form of symbolic violence, affecting the psychological and identity integrity of those targeted.
The response strategies adopted by respondents reveal a tension between confrontation, protection, and withdrawal. The majority of those who react choose to respond or debate (61%), particularly middle-aged adults, which may reflect a desire for resistance or identity reaffirmation.
However, personal protection strategies are also highly prevalent: 51% ignore or block perpetrators, and 53% report content. Women stand out for their more frequent use of blocking (72%) and social support (65%), which aligns with intersectional analyses showing that Black women are often confronted with a dual exposure — racism and sexism — and rely more heavily on support networks to cope (Jakubowicz et al., 2017).
Filing formal complaints remains marginal (15%), reflecting a lack of trust in institutional mechanisms, a trend also observed in the work of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (2024). This low use of official recourse underscores the need to improve the accessibility, transparency, and effectiveness of reporting and protection mechanisms.
Overall, the results of this survey confirm that cyber-racism constitutes a contemporary form of racial violence, deeply rooted in the digital and social dynamics of Quebec.
Variations by age and gender reveal distinct vulnerability profiles that must be taken into account in the development of public policies, educational programs, and prevention strategies.
The work of Jakubowicz, Perry, Cranston, and other researchers demonstrates that combating cyber-racism requires a multidimensional approach: strengthening moderation mechanisms, psychological support, digital literacy, platform accountability, and community mobilization.
This survey contributes to documenting the lived experiences of Black people in Quebec and highlights the urgency of taking action to create safer, more inclusive, and more respectful digital environments. It also serves as a reminder that cyber-racism is not an isolated phenomenon, but an extension of offline racial dynamics that demands a collective, institutional, and societal response.