Social Media and the Jewish People

Can Social Media Platforms Restrain the Spread of Hate?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Antisemitism has been on the rise in most countries around the world in recent decades, aided by the onset of social media platforms, which have become a haven for expressing virtual anti-Jewish hate and a means to instigate or display real-world harm against Jewish people. The major mainstream social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok have made attempts to restrain antisemitism on their platforms through content moderation (monitoring and removing posts) and transparency reports yet have been inconsistent or only partially successful due to the amount of online posting and platform algorithms that perpetuate hateful posts. Conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians have exacerbated already hateful content on social media. As mainstream social media companies try to reign in antisemitic posts, some extremists with antisemitic views have turned to alternative platforms with fewer restrictions and policies. Since social media companies have been slow to act against hate on their platforms, governments, civil organizations, and watchdog technology companies are trying to keep them accountable.

• One in four people worldwide, or 1.09 billion people, have antisemitic views.
• In January 2024, there were more than 5 billion active social media users worldwide (62.3 percent of the world population).
• Sixty-two percent of American Jews reported seeing or hearing antisemitism online or on social media in the past year.
• Younger U.S. adults (83 percent of those under age 30) are more likely than older adults (65 percent) to say they saw or heard antisemitism online or on social media.