CyberWell Policy Recommendations | Regarding Meta Oversight Board Cases Involving Coded Language and Racial Discrimination via Emojis

Executive Summary

CyberWell submits this public comment to the Oversight Board to address the use of emojis and antisemitic code words used to target protected characteristic groups on social media. We analyze the code words “juice” and “tiny hat” plus the 🧃, 👃, 🤑, 🐷, 🐀, 🐒, 😈, 👿, and 👹 emojis as key symbols used to promote hate speech towards Jews in English and Arabic across Meta’s platforms (Facebook and Instagram). We also recommend strategies for Meta to address such content when moderating at scale.

CyberWell's Mission

As a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating online Jew-hatred by driving the enforcement and improvement through informed platform policies, CyberWell provides guidance on “algospeak” emojis used to spread hate and evade moderation.

According to the Board’s statement, it seeks public comments on "The use of emojis, such as the monkey emoji or other coded language to target protected characteristic groups on social media […]". Similar to cases involving monkey symbols referring to Black people, CyberWell contributes expertise on how users promote antisemitic hate speech in English and Arabic on Meta through code words (“juice” and “tiny hat”) and emojis (🧃, 👃, 🤑, 🐷, 🐀, 🐒, 😈, 👿, 👹).

In line with the Board's priority of addressing “Hate Speech Against Marginalized Groups,” we offer solutions rooted in moderation best practices that balance freedom of expression with Meta's duty to protect users. Our analysis provides frameworks to help Meta prevent antisemitic content.

Introduction to Hateful Code Words and Emojis

Regarding Cases 2026-001-FB-UA and 2026-002-IG-UA, we identified that users employ code words and emojis to refer to Jews in a hateful manner, both to evade moderation and amplify hate. These references fall into four categories: animals, devils, proxies, and classic antisemitic tropes. These examples most frequently violate Meta’s Hateful Conduct Tier 1, with some violating Tier 2 of Hateful Conduct and Tier 2 of Meta’s Bullying and Harassment policy.

Jews as Animals

Depicting Jews as animals is not a new phenomenon. Antisemites have long used such comparisons to dehumanize Jews and question their morality. Portraying Jews as animals increased during World War II, when the Nazis widely published propaganda depicting Jews as rats and other vermin to justify genocide against them. Today, users on social media apply animal emojis (, , ) as code words for Jews to perpetuate antisemitic rhetoric.

The use of animal emojis in this context violates Tier 1 of Meta’s Hateful Conduct policy covering dehumanizing speech such as: “Animals in general or specific types of animals that are culturally perceived as inferior (including but not limited to: Black people and apes or ape-like creatures; Jewish people and rats […])”. Some cases also violated Tier 2 of Meta’s Bullying and Harassment policy covering: “Dehumanizing comparisons (in written or visual form) to or about: Animals and insects.”

Pig Emoji

For centuries, antisemites dehumanized Jews by comparing them to pigs. In English, the insult is primarily pejorative. In Arabic, it references the Quran, specifically Surah AlMa’idah 5:60, interpreted by some as referencing Jews. As a result, posts in Arabic frequently use the pig emoji () to describe Jews. Users pair with the Jewish star of David emoji (✡️) or by inserting in the middle of the word,ـوديـهـ ("Jew”). The emoji also appears across Meta's platforms to demonize Jews and Zionists in discussions about Israel.

In this Facebook post below, the user inserts a pig emoji in the Arabic word for "Jewish": “ ـودييـهـ“, while describing the rabbi in their video: “A Jewish rabbi performs a pleading prayer to stop Iranian miss🚀iles ”.

In this Instagram reel below, the user inserts the emoji alongside the ✡️ emoji and the severe Arabic insult “القبلة يهود“, which translates to “the Jews of the Qibla”. “القبلة يهود “is a religious slur that uses the term “Jew” as a metaphor to describe Muslims who betray Islam.

In this Facebook post, a user responds to Israeli military actions in Gaza and characterizes Israelis as a collective of being “Hitler ISIS Zionist Israeli terrorists”. The user employs the emoji alongside other derogatory emojis like the emoji to claim that Israelis are evil beings who use Judaism’s religious texts to carry out acts of terror and destruction.

Rat Emoji

During World War II and the Holocaust, Nazi propaganda frequently compared Jews to rats to depict them as subhuman. This comparison persists online, where users exploit the rat emoji (🐀) to dehumanize Jews.

In this Instagram post, the emoji describes the Rothschild family, a well-known Jewish family often invoked as a symbol of economic success and to advance coded accusations that Jews dominate global political and economic spheres. The post leverages the Rothschilds to perpetuate harmful stereotypes about Jewish financial control.

In this Facebook post, the user demonizes Jews by promoting the Khazarian myth that modern-day Jews descended from Khazars and are thus not “real Jews”. In both their caption and their comment, the user places the 🐀 emoji alongside the devil emoji (😈) to dehumanize Jews as subhuman and as “devil worshippers.”

Monkey Emoji

In Arabic, “monkey” is a common insult. However, in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:65, the Quran compares “those of you who broke the Sabbath” to apes. Some interpretations link this Jews. On social media, the monkey emoji () is used to dehumanize Jews, similar to. The antisemitic connotations that this emoji holds in Arabic are similar to the emoji. In this Facebook post in Arabic, the user dehumanizes Jews and Israelis by comparing them to monkeys. The use of the monkey emoji within the word “ـرائيليون إســود يهـ”) “Jewish Israelis”), to mock Jews and Israelis as subhuman. The title translates to: “150 activists, many of them Jewish Israelis, breached the Gaza border fence in protest of the blockade […]”.

In another Facebook post in Arabic, a user uses emojis to contrast Muslims and Jews.  Unlike the white heart and dove emoji representing Muslims, 🐷 and 🐒 emojis are  used to dehumanize Jews. The user’s video compares footage from Israel’s 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks and Israelis running to bomb shelters. The title reads:  “The difference between Muslims 🤍🕊️ and between Jews 🐷🐒 […]”. 

Jews as Devils

The antisemitic allegation that Jews are evil and demonic traces its roots to literal interpretations of New Testament texts. For instance, Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 refer to Jews as the “Synagogue of Satan.” While these verses are not inherently antisemitic, they are often misued to demonize Jews, portraying them as evil co-conspirators with the devil. In addition, religious iconography from the Middle Ages depicted Moses with horns; imagery that evolved into the misconception that Jews have devil horns.

CyberWell’s research shows that on social media, devil-like emojis (😈, 👿, 👹) often appear in English posts that vilify Jews in biblical interpretations. In Arabic posts, users apply these emojis more generally to promote harmful stereotypes about Jews. In both cases, using 😈, 👿, and 👹 emojis to describe Jews violates Tier 1 of Meta’s Hateful Conduct policy addressing: “Dehumanizing speech in the form of comparisons to or generalizations about animals, pathogens, or other sub-human life forms, including: Subhumanity (including but not limited to: savages, devils, monsters)”.

In one Facebook post, a user promotes an antisemitic interpretation equating Jews with the “Synagogue of Satan”. The post includes text referencing the phrase, a emoji, and an image depicting the Star of David, a central symbol of Judaism. The placement of the emoji after the phrase “Synagogue of Satan” serves as coded reference to Jews.

In an Arabic Instagram post, a user demonizes Jews as followers of the Antichrist, a person or force who opposes Christ to signal the end of the world. The video claims that the Antichrist’s followers will be Jews from Isfahan, implying Jews worship the devil. The user refers to the Jewish messiah as the “Antichrist” and writes: “The soldiers of the antichrist 😈 (The Jews of Isfahan) if you like the content share with your friends 🔥 best regards”.

Proxies for Jews

Antisemites often use code words and emojis as proxy terms for Jews, to evade content moderation and to users who recognize the coded meanings behind these symbols. The code words “tiny hat” and “juice”, as well as the emojis 🧃 and 👃 violate several sections of Tier 1, as well as Tier 2 of Meta’s Hateful Conduct policy. Tier 2 states that violative content includes “Insults, including those about: Character, including but not limited to allegations of cowardice, dishonesty, basic criminality, and sexual promiscuity or other sexual immorality.

Tiny Hat

CyberWell recently identified a viral trend across Meta’s platforms where users employ “tiny hat” as a derogatory term for Jews. “Tiny hat” refers to the Jewish yarmulke, a symbol of religious observance worn by Jewish men.

In one Instagram post, a user utilizes “#SmallHats”, a variation of “tiny hat”, alongside the 😈 emoji and the hashtag “#SynagogueOfSatan”. The user shares several images of Jews allegedly associated with sexual deviance to portray Jews collectively immoral, predatory, and evil.

On Facebook, another user uses “tiny hat” to claim Jews are demonic individuals who steal land from Gaza and who belong to the illuminati, a secret society conspiracy theorists believe seeks global domination.

“Juice” and juice box emoji

In English, the code word “juice” phonetically resembles “Jews”, and antisemites exploit it to avoid moderation while spreading antisemitic rhetoric. A related variation, the juice box emoji (🧃), appears in content that dehumanizes Jews or accuses them of world control. Users also apply this emoji when promoting or selling antisemitic merchandise across Meta's platforms.

This Instagram post uses the 🧃 emoji and the word “Juice” as code words for Jews to amplify conspiracy theories about Jewish global control.

On Instagram, a user uses the 🧃 emoji to sell merchandise featuring the same emoji. Alongside the emoji, their caption includes “Noticing” and “Noticer”, terms implying that people “notice” alleged Jewish power or influence.

Nose Emoji

The antisemitic portrayal of Jews with hooked noses emerged in the 12th century to characterize Jews as ugly, and was later weaponized by the Nazis. Today, online users continue to evoke this stereotype by using the 👃 emoji as coded language for Jews.

In one Facebook post, a user shares an image depicting a flyer with the hooked nose symbol referring to Jews. The caption pairs the emoji appears with the antisemitic hashtag “#TheNoticing”, to amplify the trope of Jewish control.

Tropes

CyberWell found that users often use the money-mouth face emoji (🤑) to promote false claims about Jewish greed and control over the economy. These antisemitic tropes date back to medieval literature and iconography that villainized Jews for moneylending. Today, online posts often use the 🤑 emoji to promote conspiracy theories about Jews and the Rothschild family allegedly controlling the global economy. The emoji is often found alongside others to demonize Jews. Using 🤑 in this context violates Tier 1 of Meta’s Hateful Conduct policy prohibiting: “Harmful stereotypes historically linked to intimidation or violence […] claims that Jewish people control financial, political, or media institutions […]”.

In this Instagram post, a user promotes Holocaust distortion by claiming the Rothschild family funded it, and uses the 🤑 emoji with the 👹 and 🔯 emojis to reinforce this antisemitic messaging.

Comments

In online comment sections, antisemitism is sometimes conveyed through emojis alone and without text. For example, users may reply to posts with 🐷 or 🧃 to invoke antisemitic code words and stereotypes without explicitly writing direct references to Jews. Users understand these coded meanings and deliberately exploit them to sustain antisemitic conversations. Because meaning depends on context or on the targeted individual’s identity, comments sections pose significant challenges for content moderators. CyberWell therefore recommends that Meta assess emoji use within the context of the original post, particularly in news items about Jews, Israelis, or Israel, or toward users identifying as Jewish or Israeli in their bio or in the comments.

In one Instagram post, the Israeli news source “Ynet Global” shares footage of Israeli civilians fleeing a Houthi drone strike on Eilat. In the comments, one user writes the 🐷 and 🐀 emojis alongside the 🇮🇱, 💩, 😂, and 👍, referring to Israelis in a derogatory manner.

In another post on Instagram, Jewish influencer Lizzy Savetsky posts a family photo in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In response, two users post 🐀 and 👿 emojis to target her. Savetsky’s post references her Jewish observance and her bio reads: “Proud Jewish Woman on a Mission 🔯🙏🇮🇱”.

Linguistic Variations

Emojis used to promote antisemitic content often take on distinct meanings across languages. For example, in Arabic-language posts, animal emojis sometimes allude to Quranic interpretations that compare Jews to animals. For instance, the 🐒 emoji frequently appears in Arabic posts that promote antisemitic content but rarely appears in English posts. Meanwhile, English-language posts often apply emojis in reference to New Testament interpretations, as seen in posts equating Jews with the “synagogue of Satan”. While some posts antisemitic emoji use draws from religious or cultural narratives, others express general insults or slurs targeting Jews. These variations illustrate how religious and cultural narratives shape online antisemitism. They also underscore the importance of contextual understanding for content moderators tasked with flagging emoji-based hate speech.

Recommendations

CyberWell recognizes that the symbols referenced in the Board’s cases share similarities to those used by antisemites online. We offer the following recommendations in response to the Board’s questions:

1. Enhance detection mechanisms for emoji-related antisemitism that appear in both image and text. Cyberwell urges Meta to flag and remove cases where emojis appear in both image and text. This includes identifying antisemitic messaging embedded in memes, captions, comments, and reposts where emojis and code words are often used to disguise or reinforce hate speech. Integrating both visual and textual analysis will help Meta address antisemitic content more effectively.
2. Flag posts that include combinations of emojis and certain keywords that have a high probability of antisemitic messaging. CyberWell encourages Meta to flag and remove posts that include the following keyword combinations, which have a high likelihood of promoting antisemitism in violation of Tier 1 and Tier 2 of Meta’s Hateful Conduct policy, as well as Tier 2 of Meta’s Bullying and Harassment policy.
3. Ensure consistency across languages when responding to antisemitic hate speech that uses specific emojis and code words to target Jews. CyberWell recommends that Meta responds consistently across posts in different languages that use emojis and code words to target Jews. While the same emojis are often used to promote antisemitism across various languages, they may carry different connotations depending on cultural and linguistic usage. CyberWell therefore recommends that Meta’s detection and moderation systems account for these contextual differences by employing keyword and emoji-based combinations for scalable, accurate enforcement.
4. Address the use of emojis and code words in the comments section CyberWell recommends that comments containing the keyword combinations mentioned above should be flagged for review. We recognize that sometimes users post isolated emojis in the comments section to evade detection when referring to Jews. In these instances, Meta should focus on analyzing the associated posts to identify whether such comments contribute to broader antisemitic content. This can be achieved by prioritizing moderation of posts or news items about Jews, Israelis, or Israel, or users self-identifying as Jewish or Israeli. This contextual approach towards moderation would also allow Meta to detect coordinated or coded hate speech that might otherwise go unnoticed when emojis are used in isolation.
5. Ensure that human moderators are trained to identify emoji-based antisemitism. CyberWell recommends that Meta provide dedicated training for human moderators to recognize how emojis are used to convey antisemitic messages, both explicitly and implicitly. Moderators should be trained to also identify patterns of behavior in the comments section to evade automated detection. By strengthening moderators’ understanding of these evolving tactics, Meta can ensure more consistent and accurate enforcement of its hate speech policies.