How Hate Speech Evolved in Montenegro’s Online Space in October 2025 is a pressing topic that reveals how deeply polarisation has embedded itself into the nation’s digital landscape. October 2025 saw more than 100,000 hateful comments across Facebook pages and news portals in Montenegro. This means roughly one in every five comments carried toxic or abusive intent.

Data from Pikasa Analytics' platform, Analytics.Live, shows that this level of hostility is no exception but part of a wider trend: hate speech is increasingly normalised in highly politicised and emotionally charged debates. By tracking how and where these patterns appear, the analysis offers a clearer picture of the environments in which hate speech flourishes.

Digital Landscape in Montenegro’s Online Ecosystem

Montenegro’s digital sphere is dominated by Facebook, a platform that remains central to public debate, political discussions, and online community-building. While overall comment volume dipped slightly in October, the nature of hateful speech intensified. Social media monitoring platforms particularly analytics.live reveal how spikes often correlate with political controversies or identity-based disputes.

The Scale of Hate Speech in October 2025

More than 100,000 hate-related comments were recorded in October alone. Despite being a small nation, Montenegro faces disproportionately high levels of online hostility.

Role of Analytics.Live in Media Monitoring

Analytics.Live enhance media monitoring by:

• Detecting toxic patterns,
• Identifying hate clusters on Facebook pages,
• Providing dashboards that visualise the evolution of hate speech, and
• Enabling journalists, NGOs, and researchers to track long-term trends.

Political & Nationalist Drivers Behind Hate Narratives

Roughly 73% of all hate incidents in October stemmed from political hostility. Users hurled insults at political opponents, accusing them of treason or corruption. These dynamics show that Montenegro’s longstanding ideological divides continue to dominate digital conversations.

About 16% of hate incidents involved ethnic or national identity attacks. Montenegrins and Serbs remain the most frequent targets of ethnonationalist slurs.

Whenever political news emerges, tensions between Montenegrin and Serbian identities flare up online. This demonstrates that digital discourse mirrors offline societal divisions rather than helping to bridge them.

Gendered and LGBTQ+ Hate in Online Spaces

Attacks Against Women in Public Roles

Women, especially journalists, politicians, and activists, are frequently targeted with a mix of:

• Misogynistic insults,
• Sexualised harassment,
• Political slurs.

Though only 4% of incidents, this hate is particularly harmful due to its personal nature.

Homophobic Language and Normalisation of Hate

LGBTQ+ references attract casual homophobia even when unrelated to the conversation. The normalisation of such language creates a hostile online environment that discourages participation from minority groups.

Platform Comparison: Where Hate Speech Spreads Most

Facebook as the Central Arena (83% of cases)

An overwhelming 83% of all hate incidents occurred on Facebook. Just a handful of pages serve as hate hubs where thousands of abusive comments pile up under a single post. Moderating these hotspots could drastically reduce overall toxicity.

News portals produced 17% of October’s hate speech. Only a few portals generated most of the toxicity, often due to limited moderation and sensational headlines.

Why Certain Portals Become Hate Amplifiers

Audience size, content tone, and weak moderation contribute to why some outlets function as magnets for abusive engagement.

Where Montenegro Goes From Here

The findings highlight a troubling reality: toxic language is growing, political hostility is intensifying, and marginalised groups are increasingly targeted. With Facebook serving as the main battleground, intervention is urgently needed. Pikasa Analytics play a crucial role in identifying trends and supporting smarter moderation efforts.

Montenegro’s digital future depends on collective action—media outlets, civil society, tech platforms, and everyday citizens must work together to build safe, respectful online spaces where everyone feels empowered to participate.