MADRID – Jewish communities
worldwide have reported a sharp rise in online antisemitism following the
October 7 terror attacks as hateful content spreads at an unprecedented rate. Despite
moderation policies by platforms like TikTok and Meta to detect and remove hate
content, perpetrators continue to evade detection through coded language and
other tactics.
The
WJC Technology and Human Rights Institute (TecHRI) launched on Thursday its Hate
Online: Preparedness and Empowerment (HO:PE) project to combat the scourge of
online hate. Funded by the European Commission, HO:PE is an online
antisemitism-reporting tool, comprised of both a browser extension and mobile
application, that allows users to report harmful content in a few easy steps.
Introducing the tool at a security conference
in Madrid, WJC’s TecHRI Projects and Partnerships Manager Marija Ljubinkovic
pointed out how users can identify whether a piece of content online  pertains to hate speech, including Holocaust
distortion, incitement to violence, the demonization of Israel, or something
else. From there, Jewish community members are able to report it easily to the
community representatives who are given access to the data to analyze submitted
reports, create advocacy reports, and take appropriate action with platforms or
public authorities when necessary.
The conference spotlighted HO:PE’s
various features while educating the audience on the legal and technical
frameworks of moderating antisemitism across online platforms. As WJC’s tech
consultant Balazs Szabolcska gave a live demonstration on how to submit
a report, TecHRI Project Manager Hannah Maman provided an overview of
the EU laws on hate crimes and hate speech such as the Digital Services Act
(DSA), which requires all online platforms within the EU to allow users to
report illegal content and work with trusted flaggers to remove it. Maman also explained
how HO:PE enables online users, public authorities, and staff monitors to
submit and review the data submitted to address gaps in how law enforcement and
tech platforms respond to antisemitism and other forms of discrimination online.
The HO:PE tool will be provided to
additional EU member states and other Jewish community organizations, to
empower Jewish communities to identify and report antisemitism in real-time,
while also educating users on what constitutes as ‘illegal’ behavior and what
their civil rights are based on EU legislations. It also addresses the present
shortcomings in how law enforcement and tech platforms respond to reports by
identifying patterns through reported content across different platforms and
languages.
The WJC
Technology and Human Rights Institute builds on the World Jewish Congress’
longstanding efforts to challenge Holocaust denial and online hate speech by
engaging with Jewish communities, local governments, and tech representatives
to combat the scourge of Jewish discrimination on the Internet.
