Antisemitic Clips Go Viral Seven Times More Often on Social Media, Study Finds

A recent report by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) reveals that antisemitic clips on social media platforms become viral nearly seven times more frequently than other clips. The study analyzed 1,960 short clips taken from live streams on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, focusing on content reposted by five major Instagram channels between June 14 and July 14. Of all clips analyzed, 4.7% were coded as antisemitic, but among the 75 most viewed viral clips, 32% were antisemitic, indicating a 6.8-fold increase in virality for such content.

Oliver Marks, a research fellow at CAM's Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, explained that this trend is driven not by genuine antisemitic belief but by the attention economy rewarding content that performs well. The report highlights that influencers often share antisemitic content because it attracts views and shares, regardless of their personal views on Jews. The study identifies three main factors behind the popularity of antisemitic clips: ease of creation requiring minimal editing skills, attribution bias where backlash targets the original streamer rather than the channel reposting the clip, and a lack of personal accountability for those who redistribute the content.

CAM's CEO Sasha Roytman emphasized that social media platforms effectively incentivize the spread of antisemitic hate by prioritizing extreme content through their algorithms. He called on tech companies to take immediate responsibility by changing their recommendation systems and halting the economic orchestration of online hate.

The report underscores the urgent need for social media platforms to address how their algorithms amplify hateful content and to implement measures that reduce the viral spread of antisemitism online.