News item | 25-10-2023 | 07:15
Supervisors, the Dutch Data Protection Authority and the Consumer and Markets Authority, must immediately strictly monitor that online platforms such as Instagram and X comply with the law and tackle online anti-Semitism. The Netherlands is still working on the implementation of European legislation to this end, but action is needed now.
Eddo Verdoner, National Coordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism (NCAB): “This must now be the top priority of the Dutch regulators.”
Since violence has flared up in Israel and Gaza, the NCAB has received a growing number of signals of online anti-Semitism. These types of expressions increase social divisions in the Netherlands and can lead to physical insecurity for Jews.
Since August 2023, major online platforms must comply with the European Digital Services Act (DSA). Under this EU law, social media platforms must remove hate speech from their platforms. The NCAB has established that this is not done sufficiently. Based on the DSA, supervisors, the Dutch Data Protection Authority and the Consumer Authority, can already enforce this and, for example, impose fines on social media platforms. However, the Netherlands is still working on the implementation of the DSA.
“We can’t wait for that,” said Eddo Verdoner, NCAB: “Online anti-Semitism has been on the rise since October 7. Regulators already have the authority to monitor the implementation of the DSA by the major social media platforms.”
No time to lose
Eddo Verdoner: “People are being poisoned with inflammatory messages. In these socially tense times, we must continue to talk to each other in order to bridge contradictions. At the same time, we must take tough action when boundaries are crossed. Online anti-Semitism should not pass us by with impunity. First of all, for the perpetrators, we must use criminal law to the fullest. But we also have European legislation for this, which addresses the platforms. Everyone must also adhere to this.”
Examples of online messages the NCAB has received since October 7:
“All Jews are cancer”
“Long live Hamas”
“There can’t be enough”
“Hitler fucked your sister Anne Frank, that’s why you’re so angry.”
“Here is what Hitler warned us about. Too bad he didn’t finish his work”
“The Nazis should have done better.”
“I will be hanging streamers on May 4 and 5 from now on.”
“Shut your Muslim mouth”
“Finally war between the Muslims and the rest of the world.”
Tackle the revenue model
The DSA requires social media companies to actively moderate their platforms and remove hateful messages and fake news.
Eddo Verdoner: “The more intense the content, the more often it is shared, the longer people stay on the platform, the more advertisements they see, the more social media companies earn: that is their revenue model. These companies will therefore not quickly remove fake news and hate on their own. They apparently take the social polarization caused by messages on their platform for granted. Strong supervision is therefore essential.”