A prominent antisemitism watchdog has issued a stark warning about a sharp uptick in online hate, particularly targeting Jewish communities. The organization attributes this surge to the rollback of content moderation policies by major social media companies. As platforms scale back their efforts to monitor and remove harmful content, hate speech has rapidly increased, the group said.

Platforms Like X, Meta Under Scrutiny

The report highlights changes at platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Meta, where significant reductions in moderation teams and enforcement actions have been observed over the past year. Critics argue that under the banner of "free speech," tech firms are creating an environment where extremist content can spread with little resistance.

“Explosion of Hate” Raises Global Concerns

“The explosion of hate we are witnessing online is no coincidence,” said a representative from the watchdog organization. “It correlates directly with the weakening of content safeguards.” The statement emphasized how these rollbacks have empowered bad actors and increased the spread of antisemitic tropes, Holocaust denial, and violent rhetoric.

Watchdog Calls for Urgent Policy Reinstatement

The organization is urging platforms to reinstate their former content moderation policies and invest in new technologies and human resources to counter digital hate effectively. It has also called on governments and regulators to hold tech companies accountable for the content hosted on their platforms.

Experts Warn of Long-Term Impact on Society

Digital safety experts warn that unchecked hate speech online not only fuels harassment and discrimination but also acts as a breeding ground for radicalization. They caution that the rollback of moderation mechanisms could have dire consequences for both targeted communities and democratic discourse at large.