As International Holocaust Remembrance Day forces Jews to ask themselves how safe they feel, new data from CyberWell has revealed social media companies’ underinvestment in monitoring antisemitism and Holocaust denial in English.
Research has found that social media platforms only remove 20% of all antisemitic content on their sites. Data from ethical tech start-up, CyberWell shows that platforms police Holocaust denial content more aggressively than other forms of antisemitism, resulting in a removal rate of 36% – but only in English. In Arabic, the rate plummets to 10%.
“These findings fit with what we’ve learned in studying how social media companies respond to hate speech: platforms will only devote resources to keeping users safe if enough people report problems, which puts Jews at a disadvantage,” said CyberWell founder and CEO Tal-Or Cohen.
Gidon Lev, a Holocaust Survivor who counteracts antisemitism by sharing his experiences with over 400 thousand followers on Instagram and TikTok, voiced his frustration with content enforcement. “Social media allows antisemitic hate and Holocaust denial to be shared directly to the people with no check or filter. Given how fast hate can spread online, social media companies have a responsibility to stem the tide”
