New York, NY, December 9, 2020 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today commented on the social media platform Twitch’s announcement of their updated Hateful Conduct and Harassment Policy. ADL’s Center on Technology and Society had consulted with the Twitch team as they were considering the update, which goes into effect on January 22 and addresses harassment, hateful conduct, and extremism.  David L. Sifry, VP of ADL’s Center for Technology and…

New York, NY, December 3, 2020 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) CEO and National Director Jonathan A. Greenblatt issued the following statement regarding reports that Facebook is "overhauling" its algorithms that detect hate speech: For years, ADL has advocated that Facebook pay specific attention to rampant hate and extremism on its platform, including antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and all forms of extremism. For too long, the persistent presence of bigotry and conspiracy…

Survey reveals increased harassment on gaming platforms from 2019 New York, November 18, 2020 … Sixty-eight percent of players have experienced severe harassment while playing games online, which includes physical threats, stalking and sustained harassment, while 81 percent of online multiplayer gamers have experienced some form of harassment, according to a survey released today by ADL’s (the Anti-Defamation League) Center for Technology and Society. This represents a…

Analysis also found sharp rise in anti-Black content as Black Lives Matter protests erupted in May 2020 New York, NY, October 21, 2020 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today released a new study evaluating anti-Black and antisemitic content in public groups on Facebook and private channels on Telegram since the start of the year, finding a much larger proportion of references to hateful content on Telegram. Reviewing content since the start of 2020 through September, there was a…

New York, NY, October 20, 2020 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the Protecting Americans from Dangerous Algorithms Act by Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA): ADL has long fought against social media’s extraordinary amplification of violence and extremism, which is a profoundly harmful consequence of platforms optimizing for user engagement and revenue. Yet federal law has…

New York, NY, October 12, 2020 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) is relieved by Facebook’s announcement that it was updating its hate speech policy to prohibit any content “that denies or distorts the Holocaust.” This comes after nearly a decade of ADL advocating for such changes and just weeks before the 2020 presidential election, where users have been using the platform to perpetuate hate and conspiracy theories at alarming rates. Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO,…

New York, NY, October 9, 2020 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today issued a new study showing a dramatic spike in anti-Asian sentiment and conspiracy theories about the spread of coronavirus in conversations on Twitter in the days immediately following the president’s first tweet about his positive diagnosis on October 2. The new study of Twitter conversations and activity, conducted by ADL’s Center for Technology and Society, found that in the 12 hours after the…

New York, October 6, 2020 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) CEO and National Director Jonathan A. Greenblatt issued the following statement regarding Facebook’s decision to ban QAnon content from its platform: Facebook’s decision to ban QAnon from all its platforms is a much needed, if belated, step to purge dangerous conspiracy theories from the platform. QAnon is an extremist movement that fuels antisemitism and promotes misinformation and hate in an…

One-month snapshot reveals Rep. Nadler and Sen. Schumer disproportionally targeted by antisemitic tweets New York, October 6, 2020 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today released a new study finding a high volume of antisemitic tropes and misinformation on Twitter directed at incumbent Jewish members of Congress who are running for re-election. For the study, ADL’s Center for Technology and Society collected and analyzed all tweets across a single month that were…

Dozens of influencers expected to join 24-Hour Instagram “Freeze” on Wednesday New York, NY, September 15, 2020 ... Nearly two dozen A-list Hollywood celebrities have signed on to the call by Stop Hate for Profit, a coalition of civil rights organizations and advocacy groups, that was issued yesterday, asking a one-day moratorium from posting on Instagram in protest of Facebook’s repeated failures to address hate speech and election disinformation on their platforms. …

Week of Action Includes a 24-Hour Instagram “Freeze” and Culminates with Call to Protect Our Democracy New York, NY, September 14, 2020 ... Members of the Stop Hate for Profit coalition and its network of thousands of supporters across the country will be joining in a coordinated week of action on Instagram this week, demanding parent company Facebook take action to address racism, hate, and disinformation on its platforms. The actions include a one-day freeze on Instagram…

Survey shows members of marginalized groups experience more hate New York,June 23, 2020… Twenty-eight percent of Americans experienced severe online hate and harassment this year, including sexual harassment, stalking, physical threats, swatting, doxing or sustained harassment, according to a new survey released today by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). Individuals who are part of a marginalized group also reported being less safe online this year than in the past: On the whole,…

Bipartisan legislation introduced in Washington and Maryland New York, NY, January 28, 2020 … Today, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) announced the launch of “Backspace Hate,” a national initiative to fight the escalating problems of harmful online activities, including cyber harassment, cyber stalking, swatting, and doxing, through updating legislation and raising awareness. As part of this effort, several states are introducing bipartisan bills that address severe…

Washington, DC, January 15, 2020 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt called on leaders across the political spectrum to “stop politicizing anti-Semitism and weaponizing it for partisan gain.” In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism, Greenblatt urged Congress to put more pressure on social media companies to “shut down the neo-Nazis and anti-Semites on their platforms.”  He renewed ADL…

Attackers take advantage of the fact that platforms are not equipped to quickly remove content; New “Backspace Hate” campaign will advocate for legislation to prevent online harassment New York, October 17, 2019 … Social media platform design enables online harassment, as trolls often carry out coordinated attacks on a target by leveraging key platform features, according to a new report released today by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). Such features include the…

Tech Industry Veteran to Lead ADL’s Efforts to Combat Online Hate and Harassment New York, August 26, 2019 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today announced that it has hired David L. Sifry to be Vice President, Center for Technology and Society (CTS). Sifry will bring decades of expertise to advancing ADL’s work combating hate and harassment online. Sifry is an entrepreneur and technology executive who was most recently the vice president of revenue products at Reddit,…

Study finds marginalized groups targeted most; users also exposed to extremist ideologies New York, July 25, 2019 … Sixty-five percent of players have experienced severe harassment while playing games online, which includes physical threats, stalking and sustained harassment, while 74 percent of online multiplayer gamers have experienced some form of harassment, according to a first-of-its-kind survey released today by ADL’s (the Anti-Defamation League) Center on…