In this blog, a member of the Fivecast team draws on over two decades of law enforcement experience to explore how AI-enabled OSINT is helping agencies combat hate crimes, particularly antisemitism, by detecting online hate speech, emerging narratives, sentiment shifts, and coordinated activity before it escalates into real-world violence.
Using OSINT to Combat Hate Crimes
Hate crimes aren’t just statistics – they’re real threats to real people. And increasingly, they start with online hate speech. While the protection of free speech is essential, the urgent challenge for law enforcement is to uncover and address online hate speech, which poses a growing threat to democracies worldwide.
This is where AI-enabled OSINT is proving critical – enabling agencies to monitor digital platforms and identify early signs of hate- fueled violence.
Unfortunately, hate crimes and hate speech are on the rise – and the consequences are deadly. Just last week, worshippers in Manchester, UK, were attacked outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur in a terrorist incident that left several people dead and injured. The attack has shaken communities and reinforced the urgent need to detect and disrupt hate crimes and online hate speech before it escalates into real-world harm.
TRACKING Hate Crimes across Australia, the U.S, and the U.K.
Between October 2023 and September 2024 over 2,000 anti-Jewish incidents were recorded in Australia, including physical assaults, threats, and vandalism. This disturbing trend has continued, with nearly 200 antisemitic incidents reported in the first half of 2025. These included firebombing of synagogues, hate graffiti at schools, and threats against Jewish leaders. In Sydney, two men were charged over a series of coordinated attacks, including setting fire to a childcare center near a synagogue and vandalizing homes with swastikas. Intelligence later linked some of these incidents to foreign operatives, prompting a national security response.
The United Kingdom has also seen a disturbing rise in hate-fueled violence. In the first half of 2025, over 1,500 antisemitic incidents were reported, including physical assaults, threats, and coordinated harassment. Most recently, a terrorist attack in Manchester targeted worshippers outside a synagogue. As mentioned earlier, the attacker drove a vehicle into the crowd before carrying out a knife attack, resulting in two fatalities and several injuries. Authorities confirmed ideological motives and launched a national security response.
In the United States, antisemitic violence has also taken a deadly turn. In June, a man threw Molotov cocktails at a peaceful pro-Israel gathering in Boulder, Colorado, killing one person and injuring several other people including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. The attacker shouted political slogans as he set people on fire, turning a public demonstration into a targeted terror attack.
Request our Industry Brief: AI-Powered OSINT for modern Law Enforcement
Why Early Detection of Online Hate Narratives Matters
As someone who’s worked in law enforcement, I’ve seen firsthand how devastating and unsettling hate crimes can be, not just for individuals, but for entire communities. These threats often begin online, quietly building momentum through the dissemination of misinformation, extremist rhetoric, and coordinated digital campaigns.
Today, hate crimes aren’t confined to the streets – they’re born, organized, and amplified online
Increasingly, these online hate narratives are linked to broader extremist ideologies and terrorist threats. In Australia, former Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo has publicly called for stronger national security responses to antisemitic terrorism, warning that hate-fueled violence is increasingly ideologically motivated and coordinated.
This is precisely where OSINT proves its value. With the right solutions, law enforcement officers can detect early warning signs such as violent rhetoric, emerging online narratives, and shifts in sentiment- enabling proactive monitoring before online hate speech escalates into real-world violence.
Read our Blog: OSINT to Combat Violent Extremism
How OSINT Supports Law Enforcement and National Security Agencies
At Fivecast, we’re committed to helping agencies stay ahead of evolving threats. Our AI-enabled OSINT tools empower law enforcement and national security teams to:
- Monitor extremist chatter and hate speech across the surface, deep, and dark web
- Detect coordinated harassment campaigns before they spill into the real world
- Track shifts in sentiment and narratives that signal rising tensions
- Uncover keywords, phrases, objects, and concepts used by hate groups to avoid detection
The same online platforms used to spread hate can also be leveraged to gather intelligence. By analyzing digital footprints, agencies can uncover patterns, connections, and emerging threats, often before they manifest offline.
What Governments Are Doing to Tackle Antisemitism Globally
Governments across Australia, the US, and the UK are stepping up. Australia has launched a 49-point national action plan led by a special envoy, focusing on education, law reform, and digital governance. The US has introduced new federal measures and legislation to strengthen civil rights enforcement and protect Jewish communities, especially on campuses. Meanwhile, the UK is implementing commission-led reforms across health, education, and public services, recognizing that antisemitism has become normalized in parts of society and requires urgent action.
Final Thoughts: OSINT as a Force for Good in Combating Hate
Hate crimes aren’t just a law enforcement issue – they’re a threat to social cohesion, safety, and democracy. As these threats increasingly originate and evolve online, agencies need intelligence-led tools that go beyond traditional reactive methods. Incidents like the Manchester attack demonstrate how ideologically motivated violence can erupt with little warning. Proactive monitoring of online hate speech and extremist narratives is no longer optional – it’s essential. Fivecast ONYX gives law enforcement and national security teams a strategic edge in combating hate crimes.
To learn more about how Fivecast can help your organization uncover online hate speech and combat hate crimes, request a demo.
