Horizon-funded Research Project PROCLAIM Tackles Hidden Online Hate Speech and AI-driven Radicalisation

The Hague, 23 June 2026: Hate speech does not always look like hate speech anymore. It hides in plain sight — in memes, coded language, ambiguous phrasing, slipping past algorithms and EU regulators alike. Over the next three years, PROCLAIM will bring together ten European research institutions and civil society organisations to change that. By developing new AI-powered detection tools, evidence-based inoculation strategies, and educational programmes reaching thousands of young people, PROCLAIM will give democratic societies the knowledge and tools so that hidden hate speech has fewer places left to hide.

We are proud to announce that ICCT is part of the international research project PROCLAIM, led by Dr Seunghyun Song at Tilburg University, funded under Horizon Europe. In the upcoming three years, researchers from different academic disciplines, together with civil society organisations, will investigate how hidden hate speech spreads through social media and AI technologies, while developing innovative tools and strategies to counter it.

Identifying and Countering Hidden Online Hate Speech

There is a type of hate speech that hides behind seemingly neutral language, irony or coded expressions. Unlike typical hate speech, this makes it far more difficult to detect and regulate, while still contributing to polarisation, radicalisation and democratic erosion. Rapid developments in artificial intelligence and large language models have further accelerated the spread and sophistication of such harmful content online.

PROCLAIM, short for Polarisation, Radicalisation and Extremism Online: Identifying Covert Hate Speech in State-of-the-Art Artificial Intelligence Technologies and Social Media, brings together experts in political philosophy, law, computer science, media studies, psychology and public communication to better understand these dynamics and develop practical countermeasures.

From AI Tools to Public Awareness

PROCLAIM will develop a fundamental theoretical conceptual framework of hate speech, capable of identifying multilingual and multimodal hate speech across online platforms and AI systems. The project will also explore safeguards for Large Language Models (LLMs) and contribute to future European policy frameworks on AI governance, platform accountability and digital democracy.

Alongside its technological and policy work, PROCLAIM strongly focuses on public engagement and prevention. Through awareness campaigns and educational programmes, this initiative aims to strengthen resilience against online manipulation and extremist messaging, particularly among young people.

The project also includes policy roundtables, workshops and international dialogues with policymakers, researchers, civil society organisations and technology companies to help translate research findings into concrete recommendations and practical applications.

An Interdisciplinary Consortium

The consortium brings together universities, human rights organisations, policy institutes and communication partners from across Europe. Led by Dr Seunghyun Song at Tilburg University, the consortium includes Queen Mary University of London, Swansea University, the University of Balearic Islands, Babeș-Bolyai University, VU Amsterdam, the University of Helsinki, the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), the Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC), and De Kiesmannen. Together, the partners aim to bridge the gap between academic research, technological innovation and societal impact.

Interested in knowing more about the project? Please reach out to info@icct.nl.

This project is funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme.