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Study reveals how anti-Indian hate has surged on X
Following key political appointments in Donald Trump’s team, including Sriram Krishnan and Vivek Ramaswamy, harmful stereotypes and threats against Indian Americans have spread excessively on X, with the platform failing to address the issue despite its hate speech policies, a study has found.
File photo of logo / Website: csohate.org
A recent study by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), a Washington-based think tank, has revealed a troubling rise in hostility towards Indian Americans on X (formerly Twitter). Between December 22, 2024, and January 2, 2025, the nonprofit documented over 128 posts targeting the community, many of which breached X’s hate speech policies.
This surge in anti-Indian sentiment coincided with the announcement of Indian-origin technologist Sriram Krishnan as an adviser to the incoming Trump administration on Artificial Intelligence, sparking widespread online vitriol during the last week of December 2024.
These posts, which collectively garnered 138.54 million views, include harmful stereotypes, slurs, and calls for violence against Indian immigrants. Notably, 36 of these posts received over a million views, with 12 claiming Indians posed a demographic threat to White America.
This backlash intensified with a controversial post by Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy, who criticized American culture in comparison to that of “foreign-born” engineers, sparking widespread outrage.
The study titled, Anti-Indian Hate on X: How the platform amplifies racism and xenophobia, is written by Deeksha Udupa, Rohit Chopra, Raqib Hameed Naik and Aishik Saha.
Their report states that the situation worsened as far-right figures, including Laura Loomer, a conspiracy theorist and Trump supporter, voiced opposition to Krishnan’s appointment, accusing him of undermining American workers and promoting immigration policies that favored skilled immigrants.
These posts target Indians broadly, irrespective of religion, and often perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Some claim that Indians are a threat to Western society, framing them as "dirty invaders" or as a demographic threat tied to the "Great Replacement Theory," a far-right conspiracy that alleges Western countries are being overtaken by non-white immigrants.
Others falsely accuse Indians of cheating the immigration system through fake degrees and exploiting visa programs like the H-1B.
Additionally, personal attacks have been directed at Indian members of Trump’s team, such as Sriram Krishnan and JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, with posts even revealing their personal information.
The platform X has become a toxic space for minorities, particularly those of Indian origin, with little to no accountability for the hateful content spreading, the study reveals. Despite X’s content policies against hate speech, many of the posts remain active, and only a small fraction of accounts has been suspended.
The study highlights a broader issue: X’s algorithm rewards sensational and hateful content, which fuels the spread of harmful rhetoric. The platform’s failure to consistently enforce its policies and its disregard for the psychological harm caused by such posts raise questions about its role in fostering division and violence.
The rise of anti-Indian hate on X underscores the platform’s degeneration into a space where hate speech is incentivized and minority groups are left vulnerable.
For X to restore credibility, the study advises, it needs to better enforce its guidelines, adopt an independent oversight board, and reaffirm its stance against racism. Without these changes, X will continue to be a platform that amplifies hate rather than fostering meaningful discourse.
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