Antisemitism on social media

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Part of a series on
Antisemitism
Definitions
Geography
Manifestations
Antisemitic tropes
Antisemitic publications
Antisemitism on the Internet
Prominent figures
Persecution
Opposition
Category

In the early 21st century, antisemitism was identified in social media platforms with up to 69 percent of Jews in the US having encountered antisemitism online according to the 2022 report released by "The State of Antisemitism in America".[1] Jews have encountered antisemitism either as targets themselves or by being exposed to antisemitic content on their media page.[2][3]

Online antisemitic incidents manifest in various forms such as emojis, GIFs, memes, comments, and reactions to content. Studies categorizes antisemitic discourse into different types: hate speech, calls for violence, dehumanization, conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial.[4]

General

Quint Czymmek, a German social scientist, cited In his paper a 2019 study that found that young European Jews (ages 16–34) are more prone to encountering antisemitic harassment or violence compared to their older counterparts. Additionally, these younger individuals identified the internet and social media as the primary domains where antisemitism poses the most significant challenge in the present day.[5]

Researcher Sophie Schmalenberger revealed that expressions of antisemitism go beyond explicit, offensive language and images on social media. They also manifest in subtle, coded forms that can easily go unnoticed. According to Schmalenberger an example of this is observed on Facebook, where the German far-right party,

Second World War. Furthermore, the party employed antisemitic language and rhetoric, subtly normalizing antisemitism.[4]

According to research, algorithms have played a significant role in amplifying antisemitism, as they are designed to prioritize content based on user engagement. This means that posts with higher engagement, including likes, dislikes, shares, and comments (including counter comments), are more prominently displayed to users. The issue arises because user reactions to posts also trigger rewarding dopamine responses. Consequently, the algorithmic emphasis on outrageous content, which tends to generate the most engagement, incentivizes users to contribute more hateful content. Two studies, provided exclusively to USA Today, found that Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) users to tropes and conspiracies. The 2023 result, researchers say, is provoking dangerous ideas as antisemitic incidents surge to historic levels.[6]

Concerns have arisen among critics regarding the prevalence of antisemitism on social media, posing a significant issue for both the Jewish community and wider public discourse. While traditional methods of recording hate crimes, such as police crime records and the Crime Survey of England and Wales, have shown improvement, critics have said there remains a substantial underreporting of both online and offline antisemitic incidents. This discrepancy gives rise to a notable "dark figure" in the overall assessment of the problem.[1]

Some examples of antisemitism reported on social media include: “Jews are rats", “All Jews are greedy" and “I'm glad the holocaust happened".[7][8]

A study conducted by the Ruderman Family Foundation and the Network Contagion Research Institute, released in July 2023, revealed Israel as the most attacked country on social media. X (formerly Twitter) users mentioned Israel in connection with human rights violations 12 times more than China, 38 times more than Russia, 55 times more than Iran, and 111 times more than North Korea. Notably, during the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza in May 2021, the use of anti-Israel tropes surged. This escalation was accompanied by the release of a February 2022 Amnesty International report labeling Israel as an apartheid state.[9]

The researchers also observed an increase in anti-Semitic comments on Twitter, which correlated with real-world Jewish-targeted hate crime incidents. The highest point coincided with conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 and the 2021 assault on the Capitol in Washington by supporters of Donald Trump.[10]

Michael Bossetta, a researcher at Sweden's Lund University, points out that antisemitic content represents a tiny fraction of the traffic on social media. In his chapter in the book, he says most studies find that antisemitic content total in less than 1% of the total number of posts worldwide (as of year 2022). In one major survey, it was 0.00015%.[5]

Platforms

TikTok

TikTok, according to researchers and ratings, is very popular with-in tweens and teenagers, in addition to being widely used for news purposes, political platforms and following significant personages. Due to its widespread platform, "TikTok has become a magnet and a hotbed for violent and extremist content," the Israeli researchers Gabriel Weimann and Natalie Masri write in their chapter.[5]

A study conducted between February 2020 to May 2021 by Weimann and Masri found a 41% increase in antisemitic posts, a 912% increase in antisemitic comments and a 1,375% increase in antisemitic usernames. For example, a song about Jewish people being killed in Auschwitz was accessed more than six million times worldwide.[11][5][12][13]

According to the CCDH, TikTok, in particular, is falling in banning accounts that directly targets Jewish users. The study reveals that the platform only removes 5 percent of accounts engaged in activities such as sending direct messages promoting Holocaust denial.[14]

TikTok has been called ‘the biggest antisemtic movement since the Nazis" by Sasha Baron Cohen. In 2023 Jewish American celebrities signed a letter to TikTok stating TikTok was not safe for Jewish users.[15]

Instagram

According to a 2021 report,[16] there are "millions" of results for hashtags relating to antisemitic conspiracy theories on Instagram.

A report by the CST released in 2021 investigated antisemitism on Instagram. Following 27 trending antisemitic Hashtags for example #gasjews, #israhell, #zionistagenda etc. which indicated a significant use of antisemitic hashtags on the platform.[17][18][19][20]

X (formerly Twitter)

ADL examined the year between 2017 and 2018, determining that roughly 4.2 million anti-Semitic tweets were posted and reposted on X (formerly Twitter) during the examined year. The percentage of tweets pulled in by a query which tested positive for anti-Semitism ranged from a low 8.9% in week 33 (August 13–19) to a high of 34.2% in week 18 (April 30– May 6).[21]

Josephine Ballon, the head of legal at HateAid, said that to pursue a free speech platform we must ensure that X (formerly Twitter) is a safe space for users and free of fear of being attacked or receiving death threats or holocaust denial.[22]

According to an article published in march 2023, antisemitism on X (formerly Twitter) remains "higher than ever" with some worried about the platform descending into a "hellscape" filled with toxic, inflammatory content and misinformation.[23]

X (formerly Twitter) suspended the account of Kanye West after he tweeting an image of the Star of David with a swastika inside. The rapper's account had been suspended before for antisemitic tweets.[24]

YouTube

According to findings from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, there was a 4963% increase in antisemitic comments on YouTube videos related to the conflict in the days following 2023 Hamas' attack against Israel. YouTube recorded a total of 15,720 hateful comments against Jewish people in the week following the attack by Hamas, as revealed by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.[25]

According to the report, the attacks include comments featured dehumanizing language, drawing inappropriate comparisons between Israelis and Nazis. They also propagated conspiracy theories, ranging from the unfounded notion that Jewish individuals control the media, political structures, and financial institutions to the claim that the Hamas attack was a 'false flag' orchestrated by Israel. Additionally, explicit threats were made against Jewish figures and officials, accompanied by the sharing and dissemination of graphic images, as well as calls for violence targeting Jewish officials.[25]

Facebook

With 3.05 billion users Facebook (December 2023) is one of the largest social media platforms. As of 2016, 11% of available online antisemitic discourse (41,000 posts) is conducted on Facebook. The majority of these posts involve symbols or photos. Four percent of the discourse (1,500 posts) are calls to violence against Jews.[26]

Two possible explanations for the relatively low scope of anti-Semitic discourse in relation to the network's popularity: either the surfers chose not to publicly upload offensive content on Facebook or the network puts a great deal of effort into removing such content.[26]

Unlike X (formerly Twitter), hashtags such as #killthejews or #Holohoax don't exist on Facebook. Problematic usernames also were not found. Discourse glorifying Hitler, however, was found, including groups such as Hitler Memes or pages of far-right organizations such as the Alt-Right. Almost all of the users who uploaded anti-Semitic content on Facebook did so using fabricated usernames, which is prohibited by Facebook's terms of service.[26]

In a 2021 report, researchers collected 714 antisemitic posts between May and June which included Holocaust denial, and conspiracy theories with false claims about Jews "controlling" governments and banks, or orchestrating world events. The report concluded that Facebook acted on only 14 out of 129 posts reported to it (10.9%). The report stated that Facebook groups from which it sourced many of its sample posts, with titles such as "Exposing the new world order" and "Exposing Zionism", were still active. Facebook reacted to the allegations noting that they have increased their actions against hate speech 15 percent more since 2017.[26]

According to sources, Facebook have increased its removal antisemitic content and its rate of removals are higher than other social media. According to a 2023 report, Facebook has removed 35% of all antisemitic content in 2022 reported to the platform by the FOA in comparison to 23% content removed in 2021.[27]

Telegram

A report from Hope Not Hate, highlighted the prevalence of anti-Semitism within Telegram which has emerged as a primary refuge for individuals expelled from other social networks due to their extremist views. In 2021 Critics argued that Telegram's lax moderation policies have allowed numerous channels dedicated to anti-Semitic conspiracies and overtly violent content to thrive. One such channel, "Dismantling the Cabal," promoting the New World Order conspiracy theory since February 2021, has amassed over 90,000 followers. Another channel, managed by an anti-Semitic QAnon supporter known as GhostEzra, has a following of 333,000.[28]

In addition to these concerning findings, Hope Not Hate discovered that a minimum of 120 Telegram groups and channels have shared the racist and anti-Semitic manifesto authored by the perpetrator of the Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand in March 2019, resulting in the deaths of 51 individuals. Despite this dissemination of harmful content, Telegram has taken no action against such materials according to Hope Not Hate.[28]

Aftermath

In extensive interviews conducted by Czymmek, three young German Jewish adults disclosed that experiencing an antisemitic social media post left them with a profound sense of "loss of control," "unawareness of what would happen next," and despair over "the silence of other users." One of the study's participants decided to keep his Jewish identity on social media anonymous. "This anonymity protects me very much, it keeps the hate at bay."[5]

In the online space, CEO of CCDH Imran Ahmed said, there are no limits, and people become radicalized without any boundaries. "The online spaces then have an effect on offline spaces because these people have worsened," Ahmed said. "The failure of these companies is a cost that's paid in lives."[29]

Antisemitism following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel

Main article: Antisemitism during the Israel–Hamas war

A report by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reinforces the significant increase in antisemitism since the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. The content posted on social media, according to the report, includes admiration of Hitler and the Holocaust, advocating violence against Jewish individuals, and the promotion of genocidal[neutrality is disputed] slogans like "from the river to the sea." This upswing in online antisemitic content not only fuels the dissemination of hatred but also reinforces the worldwide normalization and legitimization of antisemitism.[30]

Online antisemitism has surged in 2023, according to the Center for Tech and Society at the ADL, following the October 7 attack. The report states that Antisemitic posts increased dramatically on X (formally Twitter) beginning October 7, In contrast, antisemitism on Facebook remained relatively stable. It is likely that these differences were in part the result of content moderation.[31]

According to recent findings from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, there was a 4963% increase in antisemitic comments on YouTube videos related to the conflict in the days following 2023 Hamas' attack.[25]

References

  1. ^
    ISSN 2056-3051
    .
  2. ^ "The State of Antisemitism in America 2022". www.ajc.org. 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  3. ^ "Nearly 70% of U.S. Jews face antisemitism on social media – report". www.i24news.tv. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  4. ^ a b "The algorithms behind the spread of online antisemitism". The Times of Israel.
  5. ^ a b c d e "The Dark Side of Social Media: How it Fuels Antisemitism". www.brandeis.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  6. ^ Carless, Will. "Number of Americans who believe antisemitic ideas has doubled since 2019, new survey finds". USA Today. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  7. ^ "You are being redirected..." www.adl.org. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  8. ^ "Protecting the Jewish community from antisemitism on Facebook" (PDF).
  9. ^ II, Dylan (2023-07-12). "Israel is the most targeted country in the world on social media says new study". European Jewish Congress. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  10. ^ "Study reveals Israel was most attacked country on social media". www.i24news.tv. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  11. ISSN 2673-5172
    .
  12. ^ "Celebs on TikTok: 'The biggest antisemitic movement since the Nazis'". euronews. 2023-11-20. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  13. ISBN 978-1-032-05974-7
    , retrieved 2024-01-10
  14. ^ "TikTok is the biggest antisemitic movement since Nazis – Jewish celebs". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  15. ^ "Social media algorithms to blame for antisemitic, Islamophobic content online, Waterloo expert says".
  16. ^ "Antisemitism 'rife' on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, research finds". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  17. ^ "Instagram: Bad Influence" (PDF).
  18. ^ Wagner, Kurt (2015-01-09). "Instagram Is the Fastest Growing Major Social Network". Vox. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  19. ^ "From Nazi propaganda to Holocaust denial, social media is pushing hate on users: study". USA Today. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  20. ^ Frenkel, Sheera; Myers, Steven Lee (15 November 2023). "Antisemitic and Anti-Muslim Hate Speech Surges Across the Internet". The New York Times.
  21. ^ "Quantifying Hate: A Year of Anti-Semitism on Twitter" (PDF).
  22. ISSN 0261-3077
    . Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  23. ^ "Antisemitism 'higher than ever' on Twitter, finds report". euronews. 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  24. ISSN 0261-3077
    . Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  25. ^ a b c "Antisemitism rampant online since Hamas' attack, report finds". euronews. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  26. ^ a b c d "Anti-Semitic social posts 'not taken down' in 80% of cases". 2021-08-02. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  27. ^ "Facebook removes more antisemitic content than other social media- FOA". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-01-22. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  28. ^
    ISSN 1059-1028
    . Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  29. ^ "Antisemitic Posts Are Rarely Removed By Social Media Companies, A Study Finds". NPR.
  30. ^ "Something went wrong..." en.huji.ac.il. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  31. ^ "You are being redirected..." www.adl.org. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antisemitism_on_social_media&oldid=1216249841"