Materiality of Hate Governance on Instagram: Immigration-Related Conflicts in Portugal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17231/comsoc.50(2026).7084Keywords:
platform governance, hate speech, immigration in Portugal, Instagram, communication conflictAbstract
This article investigates the materiality of Instagram’s hate governance, reflecting on the role of this sociotechnical architecture in conflicts surrounding immigration in Portugal. The study is situated within a context of transformations in migration governance, the rise of the far right, and the centrality of digital platforms in struggles over visibility and participation. Its primary objective is to examine how the definition and regulation of anti-immigrant hate are organised through the platform’s infrastructure. To this end, the study adopts the neomaterialist methodology of asocial communication (Lemos, 2020) and conducts a material-discursive analysis (Barad, 2007; Kitchin & Dodge, 2011). The empirical focus is on Meta’s community standards, particularly the sections “Hateful conduct”, “Violence and incitement”, and “Bullying and harassment”, as well as the reporting interfaces available to Instagram users. The analysis identifies the formal recognition of “refugees, migrants, immigrants, and asylum seekers” as a protected group against severe attacks. However, it also uncovers hierarchies of harm that prioritise immediate physical violence over political, economic, and social exclusion. Additionally, the study highlights areas of ambiguity arising from criteria related to intent, context, satire, and the platform’s internal classification of reports. The article argues that Instagram’s hate governance operates as a sociotechnical mediator, offering protection while shifting responsibility for safety onto users. This approach renders anti-immigrant hate only partially visible in policy and minimally discernible through the interface. The conclusion discusses the implications of these findings for the visibility, safety, and contestation experienced by immigrants within digital environments.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dalvacir Xavier de Oliveira Andrade
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