Report Hate on X (Twitter): Posts, Replies and DMs

Insulting replies piling up under your post, a quote post turning you into a target, threats arriving by DM. If you want to report hate on X (formerly Twitter), save first and then report in a targeted way. This guide shows how that works for posts, replies, profiles and direct messages, why a Community Note is not a report, how to protect yourself and when hate on X is a criminal offence in Germany.

What should you save before you report hate on X?

Posts get deleted, accounts renamed or suspended. So save right away:

• Post or reply: a screenshot with the display name, @handle, text and date. You can copy the link via the share icon. Every post has its own address.
• Context: for replies and quote posts, also save the original post they refer to.
• Profile: the @handle and profile link. Handles can change, so note when you saved them.
• DMs: screenshots of the whole conversation in which the other person’s profile can be identified.
• Many accounts at once: if one of your posts becomes the target of a pile-on, keep a list: handle, link, time, content in a few words. Focus on the worst posts.

Important with nude images: if you receive nude or sexual content, do not take screenshots of it and do not forward anything. Describe in a note what you received, from which account and when. If minors are involved, saving or forwarding can itself be a criminal offence (§§ 184b, 184c of the German Criminal Code, StGB). Report the account and turn to the police.

More on this in How to Secure Evidence of Online Hate.

How do you report hate on X?

You find the report option in the three-dot menu. Labels on X change quite often, so look for terms like “Report”.

• Post or reply: the three dots at the top of the post → “Report”. Then choose the category that fits best, such as hate, harassment or violence.
• Profile: open the profile → three-dot menu → “Report”. This fits when an account attacks you again and again.
• Direct message: in the conversation, you find “Report” via the menu on the message or in the conversation info.

For possible criminal offences, look in the reporting flow or the help centre for a separate route for illegal content in the EU. Explain in one or two sentences why the post breaks the law.

Why is a Community Note not a report?

Community Notes are annotations with which users add context to potentially misleading posts. A note only becomes public once enough contributors with different perspectives rate it as helpful. X itself says that notes do not represent X’s viewpoint and are not edited by its teams.

For hate, this means:

• A note deletes nothing. The post stays up, just with a note underneath.
• A note is not a report to X. It does not trigger a review by the platform, nor a decision you could complain about.
• Notes are meant for misinformation. An insult or a threat is not a fact-checking problem.

If false claims about you are circulating, a note can inform others. Still report the post. And read our guide to defamation online.

How can you protect yourself from hate on X?

Use these tools once you have saved what you need:

• Block: the account can no longer follow you, send you DMs or interact with you. If your posts are public, it can still see them, though.
• Mute: the account’s posts disappear from your timeline. It is not notified. It can still send you DMs. If you do not want messages either, block.
• Mute words: hide posts containing certain words, phrases, usernames, emojis or hashtags.
• Limit replies: when posting, you can decide who may reply. You can also hide replies under your posts.
• Protected posts: then only followers you approve see what you post.
• Direct messages: in the settings, you decide who may message you.

Do not reply to hate to prove it wrong. Every reply makes the post more visible. Save, report, block is enough.

When is hate on X a criminal offence?

The same criminal law applies on X as everywhere else. The main provisions of the German Criminal Code (StGB) are:

• Insult (Beleidigung, § 185 StGB).
• Defamation (§§ 186, 187 StGB): damaging claims that cannot be proven true or are knowingly false.
• Threat (Bedrohung, § 241 StGB).
• Incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung, § 130 StGB): stirring up hatred against groups, for example because of origin or religion.
• Dangerous dissemination of personal data (§ 126a StGB): for example when your address is posted to put you at risk.
• Stalking (Nachstellung, § 238 StGB): when someone pursues you again and again, including with new accounts. This is prosecuted ex officio.
• Symbols of unconstitutional organisations (§ 86a StGB): for example swastikas in a profile picture.

Whether a specific post is a criminal offence is for the police or a law firm to assess. Insults are generally only prosecuted if a request for prosecution (Strafantrag) is filed (§ 194 StGB). The deadline is three months from learning of the act and the offender (§ 77b StGB). In a pile-on with many accounts, it is worth documenting each one.

In acute danger? If someone makes concrete threats of violence or knows your address: call the police on 110, the emergency number in Germany.

What does X have to do after your report?

In the EU, X is subject to the Digital Services Act (DSA). Under Art. 16 DSA, X must accept reports of illegal content, process them carefully and tell you its decision. If X rejects your report, you can lodge a free complaint under Art. 20 DSA for at least six months. After that, out-of-court dispute settlement and a complaint to Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) remain. How that works is explained in Platform Not Responding to Your Report? DSA Complaints. All duties at a glance: Digital Services Act: What Platforms Must Do About Online Hate.

What happens after your report?

A suspension hits the account, not the person. If you want them held accountable, file a criminal complaint (Anzeige) with the police or online through the online police station (Onlinewache) of your federal state. Include links, handles and times.

HateAid supports people affected by digital violence. If the attacks are weighing on you, the Telefonseelsorge crisis line is available around the clock on 0800 111 0 111. For children and young people, there is the Nummer gegen Kummer: 116 111 (Monday to Saturday, 2 to 8 pm). Both lines work in German.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Community Note help against hate?

Hardly. A note adds context to misleading posts, but it deletes nothing and is not a report. For insults and threats, use the report function and the police.

Can a blocked account still see my posts?

Yes, if your posts are public. But it can no longer follow you, message you or reply. If you want to prevent that, protect your posts.

What if the post has already been deleted?

If you have a screenshot and link, both remain evidence. The police can request data from X. Without saved evidence, it gets difficult.

Do I have to report every account in a pile-on individually?

That is most effective for the platform. If it is too much, focus on threats and the worst insults and document the rest in a list.

You can also report it through our form. If you say yes, your report goes automatically to a suitable cooperating law firm (Kooperationskanzlei) as soon as one is available. The legal assessment comes from the law firm, not from us. If there is no suitable firm right now, you get an email with other places to turn to straight away. Deadlines keep running: you can always file a request for prosecution (Strafantrag) with the police yourself.