Full Breakdown
CSOH Report Finds Hindutva Pop Flourishes on Global Platforms Despite Hate-Speech Policies
6/16/2026, 5:26:23 AM
Key Findings of the CSOH Study
CSOH identified 523 Hindutva-pop songs that promote hatred, dehumanization, or violence against Muslims and Christians. Researchers flagged 225 tracks on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and Meta; only 18 were removed. Songs have over 198 million YouTube views and appear in 5.9 million Instagram Reels. Ads from 103 brands—including ChatGPT, Amazon Prime, Adobe, Dell, Levi’s and Kellogg’s—appear on 83 % of videos with explicit calls for violence.
Political Context and Growth of Hindutva Pop
H-Pop is rooted in Hindu nationalist ideology that portrays Muslims and Christians as existential threats. The genre has expanded under the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) rule, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is linked to figures such as Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Music repackages longstanding nationalist narratives—depicting minorities as outsiders and justifying violence—into catchy hooks that circulate widely on smartphones.
Platform Responses and Accountability Gaps
YouTube says its policies prohibit hate speech, that it enforces them, and that it is reviewing the CSOH examples to remove violating content. Spotify, Apple Music, and Meta declined comment when PBS News requested a response. Removal rate—18 of 225 flagged songs—contrasts with YouTube’s enforcement claim, and no data confirm compliance. India lacks a regulatory framework comparable to the EU’s Digital Services Act, leaving platform accountability largely unchecked.
Criticism and Expert Perspectives
Researcher Tavishi Ahluwalia argues that flagged songs remain online for months and continue to earn ad revenue, while creators receive platform awards like YouTube’s Silver Creator Award. Journalist Kunal Purohit notes that the genre’s monetization legitimizes hateful content. Susan Benesch, founder of the Dangerous Speech Project, describes the music as “dangerous speech with an extra capacity to inspire harm.” The report says platforms prioritize takedown requests over repeat hate-music offenders.
Future Outlook and Recommendations
CSOH calls for stronger moderation of repeat offenders, improved detection of coded hate speech, greater transparency around advertising, and audits of recommendation algorithms. Observers note that EU’s Digital Services Act is pressuring platforms to address illegal content, while India’s regulatory vacuum may allow the Hindutva-pop ecosystem to expand unchecked.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Even after reporting the content, most of it is still up after six or seven months, and it's not only up, it's still running advertisements,” — Tavishi Ahluwalia, researcher, CSOH
- “People can feel that, because of the lyrics and the propaganda that come with that music, that they are part of a group.” — Susan Benesch, founder, Dangerous Speech Project
- “What they're saying to their audience is, 'look, I am singing all of these songs, which are hateful, and which call for violence against Muslims and Christians, and YouTube believes that I am good enough to be awarded for it," said Kunal Purohit, journalist and author of "H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars.” — Kunal Purohit, journalist and author
- “There is this lack of transparency, and we do not have enough information on how this entire network of monetization operates," Ahluwalia of CSOH said.” — Tavishi Ahluwalia, CSOH
