ABSTRACT
In recent years, social media have become a mega-spreader of antisemitism and violent extremists have taken advantage of them as a public platform to further disseminate hate and violence. As a response, many civil society organizations have prioritized dealing with hate speech on social media. This chapter maps the types of interventions and methods employed by civil society for combating antisemitism on social media, includes examples of the work being done by civil society, and makes recommendations for the role of civil society moving forward. It shows that civil society has successfully raised awareness about antisemitism on social media, and has brought it to the forefront of fighting hate on social media. However, the main focus has been on reporting antisemitic hate speech when encountered, and monitoring compliance of social media platforms with their own hate speech policies. The authors explain why the expertise gained by organizations, academics, and other institutions, who many times also represent those suffering from antisemitism on social media, and whose safety is at stake, must be a guiding path in informing legislation, designing guidelines, and improving policies. They also conclude that reliance on civil society reporting of antisemitism should be replaced with concrete legislation and stronger emphasis on enforcement by social media platforms.
