Press Release | Major Increase in Online Antisemitism in First Year After October 7 Hamas Attack

CYBERWELL RELEASES REPORT OUTLINING MAJOR INCREASE IN ONLINE ANTISEMITISM IN FIRST YEAR AFTER OCT. 7 HAMAS ATTACK

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS 36.6% INCREASE IN ONLINE POSTS TARGETING JEWS 11 MONTHS AFTER ATTACK COMPARED TO 11 MONTHS BEFORE

TEL AVIV – Marking the first anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks and the wave of online antisemitism ignited during and immediately following the attack, CyberWell, an international tech nonprofit dedicated to monitoring and combating online antisemitism and Holocaust denial, has published a report detailing a significant surge in antisemitic discourse on social media. As the first anniversary of these tragic events passes, the findings reveal a troubling escalation, at a rate of 86 percent in the first three weeks of posts attacking Jews online.

CyberWell’s report analyzed the 11 months leading up to and following the attacks, utilizing advanced monitoring technologies to identify antisemitic content. Human analysts then verified these findings and reported the posts to platform moderators alongside the platform’s community standards the posts violated. The data shows a stark increase in posts that were highly likely to be antisemitic—an alarming surge of 36.6 percent. The most significant surge occurred in the three weeks following the attack, with antisemitic content skyrocketing by 86 percent.

The report found that the most recurring antisemitic trope during this period was the portrayal of Jews as controlling world events, which comprised 33 percent of flagged content before Oct. 7. This figure saw a slight decrease to 29.2 percent after the attack, while the narrative depicting Jews as “the enemy” surged, indicating an unsettling increase in hostility and dehumanization.

CyberWell’s system uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, the most universally accepted classification of Jew-hate, which has been essential in framing the research and its impact. The report noted a significant increase in content justifying harm to Jews, alongside a rise in Holocaust denial and distortion. Additionally, the research found that the term “Zionist” has been increasingly weaponized in antisemitic discourse, which has, due to CyberWell’s high-level, evidence-based policy alerts and trusted partnerships, prompted policy updates from Meta, which in July recognized “Zionist” as a proxy for “Jew.” TikTok has similarly recently clarified its policies, marking a crucial step toward more effective content moderation.

“Oct. 7, 2023, was the largest attack directed at Jews since the Holocaust, and Hamas and its allies have successfully – that morning and in the year since – hijacked our favorite social media platforms leveraging gaps in existing policies and moderation efforts to turn these apps into weapons of mass psychological warfare and to normalize hate against Jews worldwide,” said CyberWell Founder and Executive Director Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor. “As we reflect on the past year, it is clear that the challenge of online antisemitism has taken a dark turn and must be addressed. Our latest report underscores not only the urgency of the situation but also the necessity for continued vigilance and proactive measures in countering hate speech. The findings serve as a crucial reminder of the need for sustained efforts in both policy enforcement and public awareness to protect vulnerable communities and uphold the values of tolerance and respect in our digital spaces.”

“It is critical that social media platforms be held accountable and implement robust strategies to counteract the spread of hate. While we’ve seen progress in the removal rates of antisemitic content, there remains much work to be done,” she added.

Since CyberWell launched in 2022 and earned trusted partner statuses with Meta and TikTok, the organization has reported notable improvements in removal rates of antisemitic posts. In 2023, the overall removal rate for antisemitic content climbed to 32.1 percent, an increase from 23.8 percent in 2022, which illustrates a commitment from the platforms to address online hate more effectively.

CyberWell’s full report can be found at: https://cyberwell.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CyberWell-Report-Evolution-of-Online-Antisemitism-Pre-and-Post-Oct-7.pdf

CyberWell is an independent, internationally focused, tech-rooted nonprofit combatting the spread of antisemitism online. Its AI-technologies monitor social media in English and Arabic for posts that promulgate antisemitism, Holocaust denial and promote violence against Jews based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. Its analysts review and report this content to platform moderators while indexing all verified posts in the first-ever open database of antisemitic social media posts – democratically cataloging it for transparency at app.cyberwell.org. Through partnerships, education and real-time alerts, CyberWell is holding social media platforms and their moderators accountable, promoting proactive steps against online Jew-hate. For more information, visit: https://cyberwell.org/.