Transcript [00:00] Hello, I'm Holly Huffnagle, director of [00:02] anti-semitism policy at AJC. Online and [00:05] on social media is where most American [00:07] Jews experience anti-semitism. [00:10] >> [music] [00:10] >> It is also where most non-Jews encounter [00:13] it. In the United States, 73% of [00:16] American Jews experienced anti-semitism [00:18] online [music] or on social media in the [00:20] last year, the highest percentage AJC [00:23] has on record. This number is even [00:25] higher for young American Jews between [00:27] the ages of 18 and 29. Nearly nine in 10 [00:31] young American Jews, 87%, experienced [00:34] [music] [00:34] anti-semitism online in the past 12 [00:37] months. Even more alarming, of the US [00:39] general population who saw or heard [00:41] anti-semitism in the past year, [00:43] >> [music] [00:44] >> nearly three quarters, 74%, [00:47] saw or heard it online or on social [00:49] [music] media, by far more than any [00:51] other place. We are facing a moment [00:54] where anti-semitism has moved from the [00:55] fringes of the internet to the [00:57] mainstream. We are seeing the repetition [01:00] of anti-semitic conspiracies [music] and [01:02] narratives, normalize ideas against Jews [01:05] long before someone consciously [music] [01:06] adopts them. [01:08] And yet, the biggest challenge today is [01:10] not simply a content problem. It is an [01:12] amplification problem. [01:14] Anti-semitic ideas are recommended by [01:16] algorithms, monetized, [01:18] >> [music] [01:18] >> and placed in front of millions of [01:20] people. [01:22] Most concerning, [music] the [01:23] consequences are not just virtual, they [01:26] are real world. Many of the most serious [01:28] [music] anti-semitic attacks in recent [01:30] years [01:31] have had a significant online component, [01:33] [music] [01:34] demonstrating that online safety and [01:36] offline safety [music] are increasingly [01:38] inseparable. That is why the Jewish [01:41] American Security Act, [music] or JASA, [01:43] includes provisions focused on [01:45] addressing and understanding [music] [01:47] online anti-semitism. The bill would, [01:49] first, require large platforms to [01:51] publish regular transparency [music] [01:53] reports, including information about how [01:55] they address violative anti-Semitic [01:58] content. Second, it would direct the [02:00] [music] Federal Trade Commission, the [02:01] FTC, to implement and oversee those [02:04] transparency requirements. [music] [02:05] And third, it would require annual [02:08] government reporting on trends linking [02:09] [music] online anti-Semitism to offline [02:12] anti-Semitic violence. [02:15] Critically, [music] [02:16] addressing the online safety needs of [02:17] the Jewish community does not come at [02:20] the expense [02:20] >> [music] [02:20] >> of anyone else's safety. Far from [02:23] creating a special exception, efforts to [02:25] improve transparency, [music] [02:27] accountability, and safety for Jewish [02:29] users helps ensure best practices and [02:31] [music] protections for all users [02:34] online. JASA is an important step toward [02:36] understanding how online anti-Semitism [02:39] spreads, how it can contribute to [02:40] real-world harm, [02:41] >> [music] [02:41] >> and what can be done to better protect [02:43] communities. If you're watching this [02:45] video and asking how you can help, [02:48] please consider contacting your senators [02:49] [music] and representatives and asking [02:51] them to support the Jewish American [02:52] Security Act.
Protect our communities online and offline.
Modern safety requires modern defense. Holly Huffnagle, Director of Antisemitism Policy at American Jewish Committee (AJC), explains how the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act (JASA) would address cybersecurity vulnerabilities and help protect communities from digital threats.
In an increasingly connected world, online harassment and digital threats can have real-world consequences. JASA recognizes that protecting communities requires addressing threats before they escalate from the digital space into physical harm.
Take Action: Urge Congress to support JASA today: AJC.org/ActAgainstAntisemitism
