Managing hate speech: An update for community managers

by Larah Kennedy May 26, 2026

This guide draws on insights from a regulatory briefing hosted by ACM Director Venessa Paech, featuring Dr Kath Gelber, one of Australia’s leading experts on hate speech and Larah Kennedy, General Manager at Quiip.

Online communities reflect the broader social and political environments around them. They can foster positive connection, learning and belonging, but they can also become spaces where harassment and hate speech spread quickly if left unchecked.

Artificial intelligence, in combination with digital platforms and algorithms, is amplifying the speed and reach of hate speech. As we head through 2026, Quiip and our Australian clients and partners have been observing a steadily rising tide.

For community managers, handling hate speech is essential to protecting communities and managing risk. It’s also an ethical imperative. Setting clear standards for participation in online spaces, combined with strong moderation practices, helps establish behavioural expectations, supports online safety, and reduces harm before it escalates.

Recent changes to Australia’s hate speech and hate crimes legislation have added another layer to this work, reinforcing the importance of robust moderation, governance and risk management practices.

Ahead of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech this month, we take a look at what hate speech is, why it matters, and what community managers should know about Australia’s updated legal landscape.

Note: This article provides general information only and should not be considered legal advice.

What is hate speech?

Broadly speaking, hate speech refers to language or behaviour that attacks, threatens, degrades or dehumanises people based on attributes such as race, religion, gender, sexuality, and disability.

In online communities, hate speech can range from explicit slurs and threats, through to coded language and harassment or targeting of marginalised groups. Not every offensive comment meets a legal definition of hate speech, however harmful conduct can still damage communities without crossing into unlawful territory. For community managers, the focus needs to be on community impact, as opposed to legal risk identification alone.

Why acting (quickly) on hate speech matters

When hate speech in an online space is left unchecked, it is perceived as tolerated and can become normalised. Left with a hostile environment, targeted individuals and communities inevitably disengage, feeling unsafe and unwelcome – due to both the hate speech itself and the lack of protective moderation.

Strong moderation sets expectations for behaviour, helps maintain environments where community members can participate safely, and plays a critical role in reducing harm within online spaces. It also plays an important role in governance, reputation management and long-term community health.

What has changed in Australia’s hate speech laws?

Two bills were introduced and passed by the Australian Federal Parliament between 2025 and early 2026:

These laws aim to strengthen Australia’s response to hate-motivated behaviour and extremist activity.

Although they’re often described as “hate speech laws”, they are more accurately hate crimes legislation, because they introduce criminal offences and stronger penalties linked to conduct that promotes or incites hatred or violence.

These laws don’t require community managers to police every offensive comment, but they do raise the stakes around how harmful content is handled.

How do the updated laws impact online communities?

Impact matters more than intent

Previously, enforcement often depended on proving an intent to incite hatred or violence. Under the updated legislation, the focus shifts to whether the conduct is likely to incite hatred, regardless of what the person claims they meant.

Moderation decisions should therefore be based on the potential impact of content, not solely on the intent behind it.

Closed communities may still be considered public

Many hate-related offences depend on conduct occurring in a public context. But the meaning of “public” becomes complicated in online environments. Closed or gated spaces that can feel “private”, such as Discord servers or private groups, may still be considered public if members of the general public can join through a standard sign-up process.

Moderation and governance should be applied consistently, to minimise risk.

Prohibited symbols and hate organisations

The updated legislation also strengthens rules around prohibited extremist symbols and organisations listed under Australia’s terrorist organisation framework.

For community managers, this reinforces the importance of monitoring harmful or extremist activity within online spaces and applying moderation policies consistently.

A broader perspective on harm

Previously, Australian courts used a “reasonable member of the community” standard when assessing whether speech could incite hatred. For particular offences, including the display of prohibited symbols, the test now considers whether “a reasonable member of the target community” would perceive the conduct as inciting hatred.

What community managers should do now

The fundamentals of good community management remain the strongest safeguard. If your organisation hosts or manages online spaces, consider the following steps:

1. Review and update your community guidelines

Ensure community guidelines clearly define unacceptable behaviour, including hate speech, harassment and extremist content. Your guidelines should reflect how your community operates and be easy for members to understand.

3. Document moderation decisions

Keep clear records of moderation actions, including why content was removed or accounts were banned. This helps demonstrate consistency and reasonable care.

4. Apply policies consistently

Consistency builds trust with communities and demonstrates that governance processes are meaningful rather than symbolic. Inconsistent enforcement can undermine community trust and your ability to demonstrate good governance.

5. Be aware of risks

Stay informed about organisations listed by the Australian Government and ensure they are not being platformed within your communities.

5. Treat moderation as governance

As the legal landscape evolves, moderation increasingly sits at the intersection of community safety, organisational reputation and regulatory compliance.

6. Ensure regular, frequent and human moderation

Human moderation matters. Platform-level moderation has significant limitations and, while automated tools can help with detection, they can’t fully interpret nuance, intent, or cultural context.

Community managers bring strategic thinking, contextual awareness, empathy and ethical reasoning to moderation decisions. These qualities are essential when navigating complex issues like discrimination, satire, activism and cultural context.

In other words, the role of community professionals is not becoming less important as regulation evolves. If anything, it is becoming more critical.

What this means for community managers

The legal landscape around hate speech will continue to evolve, but the foundations of good community management remain consistent: clear standards, thoughtful moderation and well-defined governance processes.

Community managers are not expected to act as legal experts. However, the recent changes reinforce how closely moderation is tied to community safety, organisational reputation, and compliance.

Most well-managed communities already follow practices that align with these laws. The key is to ensure that they are clearly defined, consistently applied and documented, and supported by escalation pathways.

As online communities continue to evolve, so too will expectations around moderation and governance. Organisations that invest in clear frameworks, skilled moderation and community safety practices will be better positioned to build healthier and more resilient online spaces.

If you’re reviewing your community guidelines or moderation processes in light of these changes, Quiip can help. Get in touch with our team to learn more.