PARIS, JULY 13 – Holocaust denial and distortion is massive on Telegram, a platform known for its lack of moderation and clear user guidelines, a new UNESCO report revealed today. Nearly half (49%) of Holocaust-related public content on this platform denies or distorts the facts. This rate rises to over 80% for messages in German, and around 50% in English and French. These posts, easily accessible to people looking for Holocaust-related information on the platform, are often explicitly antisemitic.
The first report on the distortion and denial of the Holocaust on social media platforms was published today, in partnership with the World Jewish Congress (WJC). It reveals that this hurtful content is present on all platforms but that moderation and education make it possible to significantly reduce these phenomena.
As part of their plan to counter the denial and distortion of the Holocaust, UNESCO and the United Nations sought to objectively measure the extent of these phenomena on social networks, in partnership with the Jewish Congress. They commissioned researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute to identify and analyze 4,000 posts related to the Holocaust, on five major platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok and Twitter.
On moderated platforms, denial and distortion are also present, but to a lesser extent. They concern 19% of Holocaust-related content on Twitter, 17% on TikTok, 8% on Facebook and 3% on Instagram. But the falsification of the facts about the Holocaust then takes on new forms: perpetrators learn to evade content moderation, by using humorous and parodic memes as a strategy intended to normalize antisemitic ideas, for example, making these ideas appear mainstream.
“There are still social networks where Holocaust denial and distortion spread without moderation, and this content is used to fuel hatred. We can fight against these phenomena by taking action on content and educating users. UNESCO’s partnership with Facebook and TikTok, which redirects users to verified information, is an example of best practice. But we cannot only rely on the voluntary participation of platforms: we also need common principles and guidelines. UNESCO will lead this discussion with all stakeholders, and in 2023, we will hold the first global conference dedicated to the responsibility of platforms,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
“This work is a core part of the mission of the United Nations”, said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres: “And it goes beyond the Holocaust itself. The report shows how intimately linked its denial is to other forms of online violence, including those rooted in racism, misogyny, or xenophobia. Antisemitism, Holocaust denial and distortion, and other forms of religious bigotry and hatred are a seismograph. The more they rattle our world, the greater the cracks to the foundations of our common humanity. Today, the cracks are impossible to ignore”. (@OnuItalia)