New Survey Suggests TikTok Major Driver of Surge in Global Antisemitism

Spending at least 30 minutes a day on TikTok increases the chances a respondent’s antisemitism rises or holds antisemitic or anti-Israel views by 17% (compared with 6% for Instagram and 2% for X), according to a new study by Generation lab.

The work behind the survey and analysis was a team effort and included @Yaffit_S, @GontownikA and @roybahat.

TikTok users are more likely to believe Jewish people are dishonest in business, are disloyal to America, and have too much power in the media. They are also more likely to disagree that Israel has a right to defend itself against those who want to destroy it.

“TikTok does not merely reflect pre-existing sentiment—it is shaping views, creating a dangerous environment for Jews. TikTok ratio differs from opinion polls, which show sentiment among Americans aged 18-24 split roughly equally between Israel and the Palestinians,” David Frankel a technology investor said in response to the study.

A new survey suggests TikTok is a meaningful driver of a surge in antisemitism. #TikToxic

Spending at least 30 minutes a day on TikTok increases the chances a respondent holds antisemitic or anti-Israel views by 17% (compared with 6% for Instagram and 2% for X). pic.twitter.com/5rTbuoqKlR

— Anthony Goldbloom (@antgoldbloom) November 30, 2023

Hedge fund billionaire Ackman said TikTok should “probably be banned” for “massively manipulating public opinion” in favor of Hamas and stoking anti-Israel animus.

Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, blamed social media for “amplifying the hate” following reports that pro-Palestine videos on TikTok outnumbered pro-Israel videos by as much as 15 to 1.

“The world is quickly moving to a very dark place,” Ackman wrote on his X social media account on Monday. “Social media has been amplifying the hate for a decade as algorithms wind us up.”

Meanwhile, a recent Reuters poll found 20% of people aged 18 to 24 go to TikTok for news, up 5% compared to last year. At the same time, public trust in traditional news outlets has dwindled.

Ackman said AI that drives the apps is “quickly beginning to destroy the ability to empirically identify the truth” and that they “need to fix the algorithms so that we are able to find common ground.”

“And yes, TikTok should probably be banned,” Ackman added. “A foreign government should not be in control of the minds of our next generation of leaders.

“If we don’t fix this soon, humanity is on a rapid path to oblivion, and it will be too late.”

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