New Briefing from the Online Hate Prevention Institute
The Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI) has released a new briefing which examines in more depth the images of antisemitism and Holocaust denial as shown in its recent video.
This is the first in a series of briefings, each of which will examine a different set of images from the video.
The video itself features a range of images all found on Facebook by OHPI over the last year and attacking different sections of society.
The briefing also highlights how some of the images have moved back and forth between Facebook and real world activities. The use of one of the images in a poster for a debate on Zionism led to the event being cancelled after outrage at the image’s antisemitic nature. In another case an antisemitic image from a Qatar based newspaper in 2011 continues to circulate online. In a third case yet another Facebook version of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is uncovered.
The Online Hate Prevention Institute’s video highlights the existence of a dark side to the Internet. The briefing, which expands on images in the video, highlights that even when individual instances of antisemitic content are successfully dealt with, not enough is being done to prevent their return.
OHPI’s CEO, Dr Andre Oboler, said that, “Our short video serves an important function in highlighting the problem of online hate speech for the public. From antisemitism to homophobia and the mocking of people with disabilities to pages mocking recently deceased children, the video shows the hate directed against different parts of society and the harm it can cause. We must stand together as a community against all these forms of hate. We must learn to recognize them and to speak up not only against the hate that targets ourselves and our communities, but also against the hate that targets others in society.”
The briefing on antisemitism and Holocaust denial is the first of a series into the different forms of hate shown in our video. We hope people will join us in learning more as these briefings are published. “Hate is a a poison that is spread through society. Online it can build up through a proliferation of copies, or it can begin to pool when one copy gains high exposure and is not swiftly removed. There will always be hate, but we must make an effort to manage it and mitigate its effect. Preventing powerful communication platforms being used as a carrier of hate is an important step in preventing the harm hate can causes to individuals, communities and society as a whole”, Dr Oboler explained.
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