The Chinese social media platform TikTok has hired a former official from the Biden administration to help combat the issue of anti-Semitism on its platform. Erica Mindel, who previously consulted for Biden administration anti-Semitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt, has been tapped as TikTok's new public policy manager for hate speech. This move comes amid a sharp rise in anti-Semitism on TikTok, with the Jewish Federations of North America stating that the platform has been the "worst offender" in this regard.
The problem of anti-Semitism on TikTok has grown significantly since the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, with Jewish celebrities and influencers calling out the company for its role in promoting hatred against Jews. Sacha Baron Cohen, for instance, has told TikTok executives that their platform "is creating the biggest anti-Semitic movement since the Nazis." Jewish TikTok employees have also accused the app's moderators of allowing open bigotry and the proliferation of false claims about Jews and Israel on the platform.
Some examples of anti-Semitism spreading on TikTok include conspiracy theories that contemporary Jews are not Jews but actually "Khazars" and bent on world domination, as well as notions that Jews are responsible for the world's wars in an effort to gain power. Additionally, suggested searches with names like "Ashkenazi Jewish witchcraft Satanism" have been found on the platform. In a notable November 2023 episode, a letter written by Osama bin Laden discussing motivations for 9/11 went viral, in which the al Qaeda founder mentions Jewish "control of your economy, through which they have then taken control of your media, and now control all aspects of your life making you their servants and achieving their aims at your expense."
The uptick in anti-Semitism on TikTok has reportedly followed a similar explosion in anti-Jewish conspiracy theories on the Chinese internet. The platform, which is linked to the Chinese government through parent company ByteDance, has faced criticism for its handling of hate speech and anti-Semitic content. A spokesman for TikTok initially declined to comment on the issue before sending a statement saying the platform "enforce[s] the industry's strongest rules against antisemitic speech and behavior."
However, some Jewish leaders have expressed skepticism about the hire, noting that Lipstadt's office was silent on instances of anti-Semitism that were politically inconvenient for the Biden administration. Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, has criticized Lipstadt's tenure, stating that she "refused to call out all sorts of antisemitism around the world" and endorsed the Biden administration's strategy to combat anti-Semitism, which included a watered-down definition and was meant to be carried out in partnership with the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Klein has also expressed qualms about social media platforms like TikTok giving such a role to "anyone who worked for someone like Deborah Lipstadt, who's afraid to take on anti-Semitism occurring throughout the world, who is defending anti-Semitic groups like CAIR … and who has refused to condemn Holocaust denial by Syria's [former dictator Bashar] Assad and [Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud] Abbas." Lipstadt's tenure coincided with a record-high surge in anti-Semitic incidents following the October 7, 2023, attacks, and she has strongly condemned pro-terrorist protests on American college campuses since leaving office.
The Biden administration published a national plan to counter anti-Jewish bigotry in 2023, but the report promoted conflicting definitions of anti-Semitism, including those contending that it is acceptable to hold the Jewish state to different standards from other countries. Many pro-Israel Jewish leaders criticized the decision, arguing that the administration should have used the stronger International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism. The administration's decision to partner with CAIR on the anti-Semitism strategy was also met with criticism, given the organization's ties to Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
Erica Mindel did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Free Beacon. The hire of Mindel as TikTok's public policy manager for hate speech has raised questions about the platform's commitment to combating anti-Semitism and its ability to effectively address the issue. As the platform continues to face criticism for its handling of hate speech, it remains to be seen whether Mindel's appointment will have a significant impact on the issue.