At the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, a session titled "Confronting Antisemitism Amid Polarization" featured prominent speakers who advocated for stronger measures to compel social media platforms to censor content they consider harmful. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); and Jennifer Schenker, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Innovator, expressed concerns about the influence of platforms like TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook on public discourse and the spread of antisemitism.
Jennifer Schenker set the tone for the discussion by claiming, "The flames of antisemitism are being fanned every second by TikTok and social media," and lamenting that "the Jewish community has not been able to effectively combat that online."
Jonathan Greenblatt labeled social media platforms "a super spreader of antisemitism and hate" and criticized their impact on younger audiences, stating, "Young people... get their news from TikTok, which is fairly terrifying, or from X or from Instagram." He also called Meta "a gigantic problem," highlighting the challenges posed by the platforms' size, business models, and governance structures.
Greenblatt further criticized Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), describing it as "a loophole... which exempts [social media companies] from liability." He called for regulatory and reputational pressure to compel these companies to act, suggesting that social pressure could deter top engineers from working for platforms perceived as unethical: “If their engineers feel like going to these companies and participating in something, you know, an evil enterprise, if you will, they don't wanna do that.”
…
Become a Member and Keep Reading…
Reclaim your digital freedom. Get the latest on censorship, cancel culture, and surveillance, and learn how to fight back.
Already a supporter? Sign In.
Read more
