In our recent paper in the Journal of Computational Social Science, we argue that we need new and mixed methods to assess online antisemitism and hate speech in general, using the tumultuous weeks following the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk in the fall of 2022 as a case study.
We observe a significant escalation in both the volume and proportion of antisemitic tropes in conversations about Jews on Twitter during this time.
But the picture is complex. Many users also posted messages that oppose and call out antisemitism, and it is unclear whether Twitter's policy changes during this period had any direct impact on the increase in antisemitic messages. It seems that the problem is much bigger and has deeper roots in our society. One of the main drivers was Ye's (Kanye West) antisemitic comments, which had a mainstreaming effect on the spread of antisemitic tropes. While white nationalist fringe groups capitalized on this sentiment in an online and offline campaign promoting the phrase "Kanye is right about the Jews," many Twitter users believed that Ye had a point in calling out alleged Jewish power, as evidenced by popular retweets.
Thanks to Katharina Soemer, our research team, and our generous donors who have made this research possible!
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