Australian royal commission probes social media hate and antisemitism

Australia’s royal commission into anti‑Semitism heard testimony that social‑media platforms, especially X, are amplifying antisemitic content and allowing coded extremist language to evade detection. Witnesses described a failed effort to remove posts about the Bondi massacre, alleging platform resistance. The commission examined moderation statistics: X removed roughly 24% of flagged antisemitic posts, Reddit 17%, while TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn removed between 40% and 62%.

Jewish Council Australia representative Sarah Schwartz warned that anti‑Semitic harassment harms both Jews and Palestinians, stressing that criticism of Israeli government policies should not be conflated with antisemitism. Experts highlighted AI‑driven challenges and the need for governments and institutions to understand the broader impacts of online hate.

The hearings continue to assess how platform algorithms and policies contribute to the spread of hate speech and what regulatory responses may be required.