Social Media, Search Algorithms and the Spread of Online Hate

New studies from ADL and Tech Transparency Project (TTP) show how some of the biggest social media platforms and search engines at times directly contribute to the proliferation of online antisemitism, hate and extremism.

For the studies, researchers created a series of online personas designed to mirror the experiences of real users across four of the biggest social media platforms; YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.

In one of the most egregious findings, the study found that Instagram recommended virulent and graphic antisemitic content to the persona of a 14-year-old, including a profile filled with anti-Jewish messages.

“These investigations ultimately revealed that tech companies’ hands aren’t tied. Companies have a choice in what to prioritize, including when it comes to tuning algorithms and refining design features to either exacerbate or to curb antisemitism and extremism,” said Yael Eisenstat, ADL Vice President and head of the ADL Center for Technology & Society.

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