Facebook earns C-minus, Twitter D-minus for failure to adequately address hate content
New York, NY, April 10, 2023 … Social media and online game platforms are failing to combat the proliferation of Holocaust denial content, according to a new report card issued by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League).
ADL’s Holocaust Denial Report Card rates 10 social media and game companies on their efforts to enforce rules and effectively respond to and remove content, memes and messages that deny the Holocaust or use conspiracy theories about it to spread antisemitic beliefs.
No platform reviewed scored higher than a “C+” in their efforts to moderate and remove denial content. Twitch and YouTube were the highest rated platforms, earning a C-plus. Facebook/ Instagram, TikTok, Discord, Riot Games and Reddit each earned a C-minus. Twitter and Activision Blizzard were issued a D-minus, and Epic Games placed last with an “F.”
“Tech companies claim to be addressing hate on their platforms. But when it comes to Holocaust denial, they aren’t,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “The consequence is that Holocaust deniers take advantage of this lax enforcement to spread their noxious antisemitic ideas and garner support for their hateful views.”
Half of the companies reviewed have explicit policies forbidding the spread of Holocaust denial content, and all have policies prohibiting general hate speech. But in a follow up to its 2021 report card, the ADL Center for Technology and Society found that most platforms do not act when content is flagged or reported by ordinary users.
The report card was based on a thorough investigation of 10 social platforms’ responsiveness to the issue and graded each based on a series of criteria, including: how comprehensive the platform’s policies are in addressing Holocaust denial, how such content appears, and how responsive each was in dealing with the content once it was flagged by ordinary users.
“Despite being one of history’s most painstakingly well-documented genocides, the deliberately hateful denial of the Holocaust has been a longstanding problem on social media,” said Greenblatt. “Some have wavered on the issue by making free speech claims, but Holocaust denial is undeniably hate speech and private companies have no obligation to tolerate it.”
Below is ADL’s report card and the ranking of those platforms evaluated:
Among the types of content flagged by ADL to the platforms:
- YouTube documentary-style videos that purport to reveal the “truth” about the Holocaust.
- Facebook posts fixating on the number of Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
- Instagram featured content styled after digital news articles, complete with headlines and pull quotes. One appeared to be a news story about a rabbi disputing the Holocaust.
- Discord hosted denial-themed content on multiple servers, with hateful messages peppered through the World War II-themed video game Hearts of Iron.
- On Twitch, denial content appeared in video streams, the title of recorded videos and the text of video descriptions.
- Reddit hosted denial content on subreddits focusing on conspiracy theories.
- On Fortnite, owned by Epic Games, multiple users had the name “Holohoax,” while others included the number 88, a white supremacist reference to “Heil Hitler.”
“At a time when antisemitism is rising in the U.S. and globally, tech platforms bear considerable responsibility for serving as megaphones for Holocaust deniers,” said Yael Eisenstat, Vice President of the ADL Center for Technology and Society. “Jewish users face real threats, but the response from social platforms has been lackluster at best. We call on tech companies to stop being complacent when confronted with anti-Jewish hatred and to enforce their policies against Holocaust denial content consistently and at scale.”
Holocaust denial is a type of antisemitic propaganda founded on stereotypes of Jewish greed and malevolence, and on the belief that Jews are somehow able to force massive institutions – governments, Hollywood, the media, academia – to manufacture and promote the existence of the Holocaust.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. More at www.adl.org.