TikTok is 'the biggest antisemitic movement since the Nazis,' says Sacha Baron Cohen

[beijingwalker]

TikTok is 'the biggest antisemitic movement since the Nazis,' says Sacha Baron Cohen​

Criticism has flared up against the platform again as a stream of TikTok users this week posted videos recommending a letter written by Osama bin Laden that aims to justify the September 11 attacks.​

By JACKIE HAJDENBERG/JTA
NOVEMBER 17, 2023 20:53

A group of Jewish celebrities and TikTok creators decried antisemitism on the video social media platform in a private video call with its executives and employees on Wednesday.

The approximately 90-minute meeting included more than 30 participants, according to a recording obtained by The New York Times. It comes during a reported spike in antisemitism following the outbreak of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, and as debate over the war on social media has grown heated.

Among the Jewish celebrities were actors Sacha Baron Cohen, Debra Messing and Amy Schumer, and TikTok creator Miriam Ezagui, all of whom have previously spoken out about antisemitism. Adam Presser, TikTok’s head of operations, and Seth Melnick, its global head of user operations, both of whom are also Jewish, were the app’s lead representatives on the call.

TikTok's antisemitism problem​

“What is happening at TikTok is it is creating the biggest antisemitic movement since the Nazis,” said Cohen, who previously made waves in a 2019 address to the Anti-Defamation League, in which he called Facebook and other social media platforms “the greatest propaganda machine in history,” and accused them of facilitating the spread of antisemitism.

Cohen does not appear to be publicly active on TikTok. According to the Times, he told Presser “Shame on you,” and said the app could “flip a switch” to better counter antisemitism. People on the call cited comments such as “Hitler was right” or “I hope you end up like Anne Frank,” being left under videos posted by Jewish users.

A woman holds a smartphone as a TikTok logo is displayed behind in this picture illustration. (credit: DADO RUVIC/REUTERS)
Messing also took aim at the app. “I understand that you are in a very, very difficult and complicated place, but you also are the main platform for the dissemination of Jew hate,” she said, according to the Times.

The call, which was arranged by TikTok executives, comes after Schumer, Messing, Ezagui and other Jewish celebrities and influencers (but not Cohen) signed an open letter saying that TikTok “is not safe for Jewish users.”

“Simply put, TikTok lacks critical safety features to protect Jewish content creators and the broader Jewish TikTok community, leaving us in digital and physical danger,” the letter says. “This hate and vitriol is not rare, spontaneous or unexpected. Sadly, rampant antisemitism is a common problem that TikTok has failed to address for far too long.”

The letter calls for TikTok to enhance its safety tools, moderate content fairly, prioritize verified and objective content in times of crisis, and respond to physical threats.

Presser and Melnick said they wanted to hear from creators on TikTok in order to improve the platform.

“Obviously a lot of what Sacha says, there’s truth to that,” Presser said, referring to Cohen’s plea for social media companies to address hate. But Presser later said there was no “magic button” to address all the concerns raised in the meeting, according to the Times.

“We recognize this is an incredibly difficult and fearful time for millions of people around the world and in our TikTok community,” TikTok said in a statement. “Our leadership has been meeting with creators, civil society, human rights experts and stakeholders to listen to their experiences and feedback on how TikTok can remain a place for community, discovery and sharing authentically.”

Criticism has flared up against the platform again as a stream of TikTok users this week posted videos recommending a letter written by Osama bin Laden that aims to justify the September 11 terror attacks and includes antisemitic statements. TikTok has banned videos promoting the letter.

TikTok is the biggest antisemitic movement since Nazis - Jewish celebs

Criticism has flared up against the platform again as a stream of TikTok users this week posted videos recommending a letter written by Osama bin Laden that aims to justify the September 11 attacks.

www.jpost.com

 

[beijingwalker]

Bin Laden’s message goes viral on TikTok​

 

[Fish]

And my content is the biggest Islamophobic movement since Crusades.

...

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Borat (grape) and - to a much lesser extent - The Dictator (meh). But you can't deny these films were aimed at fanning rising anti-Islamic sentiments in the west back in the noughties.

 

[beijingwalker]

Jewish celebrities urged TikTok execs to address antisemitism on phone call​

BY REBECCA KLAR - 11/17/23 12:31 PM ET

Jewish celebrities and content creators urged TikTok executives to take more action to address antisemitic content on the platform during a call Wednesday night, a TikTok spokesperson confirmed Friday.

The call was reported by The New York Times on Thursday, citing a recording of the meeting.


The meeting reportedly included more than 30 people, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Debra Messing and Amy Schumer. It followed a letter sent by Hollywood stars and influencers to the platform about similar concerns over a rise in antisemitism since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent war.

The call was led by TikTok head of operations Adam Presser and global head of user operations Seth Melnick, the Times reported.

During the meeting, the TikTok executives appeared to agree with the sentiment that more should be done, but they stressed there is not a simple or fast solution, according to the report.

Asked about the call, a TikTok spokesperson told The Hill in a statement, “We recognize this is an incredibly difficult and fearful time for millions of people around the world and in our TikTok community.”

“Our leadership has been meeting with creators, civil society, human rights experts and stakeholders to listen to their experiences and feedback on how TikTok can remain a place for community, discovery, and sharing authentically,” the spokesperson added.

During the call, TikTok reportedly faced direct accusations from the creators.

Cohen said TikTok is “creating the biggest antisemitic movement since the Nazis” and said the company could “flip a switch” to fix the problem, according to the Times.

Presser reportedly said “there’s truth” to “a lot” of what Cohen said but later added there is no “magic button” to address the concerns.

Messing questioned the executives over how TikTok is moderating the pro-Palestinian slogan “from the river to the sea,” according to the Times.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has called the slogan antisemitic.

Presser told members of the call that TikTok has left interpretation of the phrase, before and after the Oct. 7 attack, up to TikTok’s moderators based on how it is used, according to the Times.

“Where it is clear exactly what they mean — ‘kill the Jews, eradicate the state of Israel’ — that content is violative and we take it down. Our approach up until Oct. 7, continuing to today, has been that for instances where people use the phrase where it’s not clear, where someone is just using it casually, then that has been considered acceptable speech,” Presser said, according to the Times.

TikTok is not the only platform facing scrutiny over a rise in antisemitic content since the Oct. 7 attack. The ADL last week published a report documenting a rise in antisemitic hate on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. And the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) earlier this week published a report indicating X failed to remove antisemitic and Islamophobic hate since the Oct. 7 attack.

The ADL report found a 919 percent increase in antisemitic content on X in the week after the attack. By contrast, the report found a 28 percent increase on Meta-owned Facebook in that time. The ADL noted the modest increase on Oct. 13 could be due to content not having been moderated by the time the data was collected at midnight Oct. 14.

Joe Benarroch, head of business operations at X, shared a blog post published Tuesday touting X’s use of community notes to help moderate misinformation about the conflict.

He also said “X has asked the ADL for the accounts and posts to verify them, but the ADL has declined to be transparent with the data.”

An ADL spokesperson said in a statement that “since X removed API access, we have had to contract with third parties for X data.”

“Our agreement with that third party prevents us from sharing our data which, ironically, includes back to X,” the spokesperson added. “If X wants transparency, the best way is to restore API access.”

Jewish celebrities urged TikTok execs to address antisemitism on phone call

Jewish celebrities and content creators urged TikTok executives to take more action to address antisemitic content on the platform during a call Wednesday night, a TikTok spokesperson confirmed Fri…

thehill.com

 

[beijingwalker]

Antisemitic TikTok content the latest 'digital fentanyl' from China, Republican lawmaker says​

Rep. Mike Gallagher warned the CCP is not afraid to weaponize TikTok against America​

By Charles Creitz Fox News
Published November 4, 2023 7:00am EDT

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who has called TikTok "digital fentanyl" sponsored by China, called out the malign antisemitic content being reported on the CCP-connected app.

Gallagher told "The Story" Thursday that the new disturbing trend should be a wake-up call to Congress, which has seen efforts to rein in or force the sale of TikTok to a non-Chinese entity stalled.

"The hate we're seeing spewed against Jewish Americans on TikTok should remind us of the basic facts: And the fact is that this app, which increasingly young Americans get their news from this app, this is the source of news and could become the dominant news platform in America, is controlled by a Chinese company that is at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party," he said.

"And if you don't think the Chinese Communist Party could or would weaponize that platform to spread anti-American propaganda, to divide Americans against Americans, to increase division in this country, then you're not paying attention to what they've been doing all around the world."

At least one Jewish social media influencer has demanded action from social media companies on this front, claiming there is indeed a surge of antisemitism on TikTok since the Hamas invasion of Israel.

Eitan Bernath said TikTok and other platforms have seen the disturbing trend increase in recent days, while underlining that there is a fine but recognizable difference between content that presents a politically opposite view of the conflict and content that is openly antisemitic.

Bernath said several other Jewish influencers and Hollywood figures like Judy Gold and Amy Schumer have signed an open letter to TikTok, which in part alleged the "platform is not safe for Jewish users."

"This is not just about like our feelings aren't hurt. We're not upset that people don't like Jews and don't like us. We are concerned and validly concerned for our digital safety and our physical safety. You know, people have gotten their phone numbers doxxed, their family members doxxed, their addresses doxxed… People have been receiving – like myself – death threats," he added.

In response to an inquiry from "America Reports," TikTok said they've taken "important steps to protect our community and prevent the spread of hate, and we appreciate ongoing, honest dialog and feedback as we continually work to strengthen these protections."

The trend on social media has also drawn the attention of other top lawmakers.

Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn said it wouldn't be surprising that TikTok is "pushing pro-Hamas content," according to NBC News.

Gallagher later reacted on FOX News to the growing divide in the Democratic Party over the Hamas-Israel invasion, saying that President Biden's rhetoric on the conflict has been appropriate, but that the left must be cautious about letting its more radical wing speak out or demonstrate in support of Hamas.

"If what we're seeing on college campuses suddenly spills out into the mainstream here in Capitol Hill, then that's a huge problem. So I hope that the president will continue his steadfast support of Israel," he said.

Antisemitic TikTok content the latest 'digital fentanyl' from China, Republican lawmaker says

The Chinese Communist Party-connected app TikTok has been under fire for a wave of antisemitic content in the wake of the Hamas invasion of Israel, Rep. Mike Gallagher reacts.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Goritoes]

Oh the same douche bag who can make fun of Arabs and Insult their culture but when someone do the same with Jews he cry antisemetism.

 

[Haldorss]

he is low iq, as goritos said here.

 

[Whirling_dervesh]

anything that remotely goes against the zionist agenda and narrative is labelled anti-semitic. Its a massive smokescreen that will inevitably lead to censorship and denial to the masses of information that normally is controlled through conventional print and television outlets.

Losing control of this narrative has now spooked the zionists, and now their agents are out their beginning the demonising process.

Unfortunately the way the west wants to kowtow the zionists i fear the defanging process is about to begin.

Beginning with tik tok and then twitter…..and going directly after elon musk after his alleged ‘antisemitic tweet’

We must collectively resist this muzzling by any means necessary

 

[Darius77]

Anyone who tells the TRUTH about Zionist cowardly baby killers is labelled something or the other. It is too late now, the Zionist animals are losing on all fronts, including the western brainwashed sheeple are not fooled anymore. The images of dead babies being broadcast around the globe has totally exposed Jews as subhumans with no regard for any Arab life.

 

[thewayoftheworld]

Sasha Cohen is such a racist. He pokes fun and fan hatred and now criticize when he doesn't like something. He uses Jewish controlled media to mock other cultures.