According to new data released by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today, reported antisemitic incidents in 2021 rose by 25% in New Jersey, reaching 370 total incidents – the highest number ever recorded by ADL in the state and the second-highest number recorded in any state across the country last year.

These 370 incidents in New Jersey constitute 14% of the total number of antisemitic incidents recorded across the United States last year.  

Nationally, reported antisemitic incidents in the United States hit an all-time high of 2,717 incidents in 2021, a 34% increase relative to 2020 numbers and a 29% increase over the previous all-time high in 2019 of 2,107 incidents.  

The 2021 data appear to represent a return to pre-pandemic trends, though the 370 incidents recorded in New Jersey still significantly exceeds the previous record high number of incidents, which was 345 in 2019. 

According to the data, New Jersey experienced increases in antisemitic incidents across all three main categories compiled by ADL – harassment, vandalism and assault.   

Major New Jersey Findings

In total, ADL recorded the following number of antisemitic incidents in New Jersey in 2021: 

• 252 incidents of harassment; 
• 112 incidents of vandalism; and 
• 6 incidents of assault. 

 ADL’s data show that incidents increased across all three main categories in New Jersey. ADL recorded 252 incidents of antisemitic harassment in 2021, representing a 34% increase relative to 2020.  The 112 incidents of antisemitic vandalism recorded in 2021 represent a 7% increase relative to 2020. ADL also recorded 6 incidents of antisemitic assault, a concerning increase relative to the 2 incidents recorded in 2020.  

“We are alarmed by the dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents in New Jersey – disturbing fact emblematic of a larger national problem,” said Scott Richman, Regional Director of ADL’s New York/New Jersey office serving Northern and Central New Jersey. “Jewish communities in New Jersey are dealing with record levels of antisemitism, and ADL is working closely with victims, schools, law enforcement, elected officials, and faith and community leaders to help reverse this trend.” 

 Of the 370 antisemitic incidents recorded in New Jersey in 2020, 123 took place in public areas, 82 took place in non-Jewish K-12 schools, 44 took place at Jewish institutions, 40 occurred at private residences, 35 took place at business establishments, and 29 took place online. 

Of particular concern were the 44 incidents that took place at Jewish institutions in 13 different counties – a significant 76% increase compared to the 25 incidents recorded in 2020. These incidents included 39 incidents of harassment, 4 incidents of vandalism and 1 incident of assault, signaling an alarming trend towards the commission of antisemitic acts at institutions that symbolize the Jewish community as a whole – such as synagogues, temples, Jewish schools, Jewish museums, Jewish summer camps and Jewish community centers.   

Thirty-five percent of all incidents in New Jersey involved the display of a Nazi swastika, which has served as the most significant and notorious of hate symbols of antisemitism and white supremacy for a very sizeable proportion of the world. 

Geographic Data

ADL documented the highest number of antisemitic incidents in the following counties in New Jersey: 

• Bergen (70); 
• Ocean (44); 
• Middlesex (31); 
• Union (30); and 
• Mercer (39).  

In addition, ADL recorded more than 20 antisemitic incidents in each of Monmouth, Essex and Morris Counties. 

ADL documented a dramatic increase in reported antisemitic incidents in Bergen County in particular, from 35 incidents in 2020 to 70 incidents in 2021. Of the 70 reported incidents, 49 were incidents of harassment and 21 were incidents of vandalism. Moreover, 28 of the 70 incidents involved the display of a swastika, and 24 took place at a K-12 school. In one notable Bergen County incident, a man smashed the windows of a doctor’s office with a hammer and asked patients, “Are you Jewish?” 

While reported antisemitic incidents decreased slightly in Ocean County last year, Ocean County still had the second-highest number of reported incidents in 2021.  Notably, 3 of the 6 antisemitic assaults that reportedly took place in New Jersey in 2021 occurred in Ocean County. 

Our Audit reflects incidents of antisemitism in 19 of 21 counties in New Jersey. 

Assaults

The 6 documented antisemitic assaults in 2021 represent a sharp increase relative to the 2 recorded in 2020. The relatively low number of assaults in 2020 may have been due, at least in part, to strict public health guidelines put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The jump in assaults in New Jersey in 2021 follows a trend of increased assaults nationwide, with 88 total antisemitic assaults documented across the country last year. 

Notably, the 6 reported antisemitic assaults surpassed the 5 reported assaults in 2019, which included the deadly shooting attack in Jersey City. Of the 6 assaults, 1 was classified as an assault with a weapon (a vehicle).  

Jewish Institutions

In 2021, ADL recorded 44 incidents that took place at Jewish institutions, which far exceeded pre-pandemic levels and represented a 76% increase relative to incidents recorded in 2020.  Of the 44 reported incidents targeting Jewish institutions, 39 were incidents of harassment, 4 were incidents of vandalism and 1 was an incident of assault. These took place in 13 different counties across New Jersey. 

Of particular concern were 7 incidents targeting Jewish institutions that involved the display of a swastika. There were 5 Zoombombings, which targeted Shabbat services, High Holidays services and a shiva (a Jewish ritual for mourners where people gather after a funeral). The 1 assault with a weapon occurred at a Jewish institution, which involved a person attempting to strike a victim with a vehicle in a synagogue parking lot. 

Israel and Zionism-Related Incidents

Incidents related to Israel or Zionism in New Jersey increased by 35% in 2021, reaching a total of 27 incidents. 

Notably, ADL recorded the highest number of antisemitic incidents of 2021 during the month of May, which directly coincided with the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. There were 56 incidents documented in New Jersey in May 2021, which is 86% higher than the state’s average monthly total (30). Of the 56 incidents recorded in New Jersey that month, 14 included explicit references to Israel or Zionism. One notable incident in Clifton, for example, involved a sign using Nazi imagery to condemn Israel at a business establishment. Six of these incidents took the form of white supremacist groups’ propaganda efforts, which attempt to foment anti-Israel and antisemitic beliefs.   

The 56 incidents documented in New Jersey in May 2021 represented a 180% increase relative to the 20 incidents ADL recorded in May 2020, and a significant 93% increase relative to the average number of antisemitic incidents reported in New Jersey during the month of May over the last five years [29 incidents]. 

The trends seen in New Jersey during the month of May were consistent with trends observed nationally. Indeed, ADL recorded 387 antisemitic incidents across the country during the month of May last year, which was 71% higher than the average monthly total of 226 incidents and 148% higher than the 156 incidents recorded in May 2020. 

Educational Institutions

A relatively small number of antisemitic incidents took place in educational institutions in 2020, which was likely due, in part, to the closing of schools for in-person instruction and activities for most of the year because of COVID-19. As schools reopened or moved to hybrid models in 2021, the number of reported incidents increased.  

K-12 Schools 

In 2021, 82 antisemitic incidents were reported in non-Jewish K-12 schools, a 110% increase relative to 2020 when only 39 incidents were recorded. This increase is alarming but comparable to what was observed in 2019 (when 97 incidents were recorded in non-Jewish schools).  

Of the 82 reported antisemitic incidents in non-Jewish K-12 schools 2021, 40 were incidents of harassment and 42 were incidents of vandalism. A staggering 58 incidents involved the use or display of a swastika, and several schools experienced multiple incidents involving swastikas. Recurring incidents in individual schools were documented in Union [7], Somerset [6] and Bergen [3] Counties. 

 “Students across New Jersey deserve a safe school environment, both in person and remotely,” said Richman. “It is disheartening to see the number of antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools bounce back to 2019 levels. Our ultimate goal is helping to create safe and inclusive school climates to ensure that no student suffers from bias, discrimination or hate, and we look forward to continuing our work with educators in New Jersey to help them combat antisemitism and all forms of hate in our schools.”  

Campus and University 

Nationally, ADL recorded 155 antisemitic incidents on college and university campuses across the country. This represented a 21% increase relative to the 128 incidents recorded in 2020. In New Jersey, ADL recorded 16 antisemitic incidents on college and university campuses, which represented a 45% increase relative to the 11 incidents recorded in 2020. 

Most notably, there was a 17% increase in incidents of antisemitic harassment [7] on college and university campuses in New Jersey in 2021.  One incident that occurred at Princeton University involved a visibly Jewish students being verbally harassed with antisemitic rhetoric outside of an academic building. Other incidents of harassment involved visibly Jewish students being verbally harassed with “Free Palestine” chants. Both of these incidents took place in May 2021.  

ADL recorded five incidents of antisemitic vandalism on college campuses in New Jersey last year, including swastikas being drawn on academic and residential buildings, mezuzahs being stolen and even a Jewish fraternity being egged.   

Extremism and White Supremacist Activity

Notwithstanding a 41% decrease in extremist-related antisemitic incidents in 2021, white supremacist groups continued to maintain an active presence in New Jersey last year, using propaganda to communicate their hateful messages more broadly and recruit new members.  Of the 24 recorded antisemitic extremist-related incidents, 19 involved offensive propaganda distribution. However, the potential for all types of white supremacist activity to provoke fear and anxiety in Jewish communities should not be discounted. 

The New Jersey European Heritage Association (NJEHA) in particular continued to be active throughout the state and elsewhere, driving both increases in documented extremist-related antisemitic activity and overall white supremacist propaganda distribution incidents. Of the 24 extremist-related incidents reported in New Jersey in 2021, 12 involved the NJEHA. 

At a national level, 484 antisemitic incidents were attributable to extremist groups or individuals inspired by extremist ideologies. White supremacist groups were responsible for 352 reported antisemitic propaganda distributions across the country. To learn more about white supremacist propaganda distribution in 2021, click here: https://nynj.adl.org/news/adl-white-supremacist-propaganda-remained-at-historic-levels-in-2021/  

Online Incidents

In 2021, ADL documented 29 antisemitic incidents online, a 16% increase relative to the 25 incidents recorded in 2020. These included incidents of cyberbullying and harassment, as well as one incident where a synagogue was given a one-star rating on Google Maps because “it’s Jewish.” 

 While overall online incidents increased, the number of reported Zoombombing incidents – the intentional disruption of live videoconferences – decreased. There were 12 reported incidents of Zoombombing in New Jersey in 2021. Out of the 12 incidents, five occurred at Jewish institutions and five occurred in non-Jewish schools. 

Underreporting

Underreporting continues to be a challenge in many communities, as victims of bias crimes and antisemitic incidents – particularly those in marginalized communities – face significant barriers to reporting in the first instance. ADL encourages all members of the public to report incidents of antisemitism directly to ADL here: adl.org/reportincident 

In addition, we know that there is significant underreporting of hate crimes to the FBI, particularly where reporting remains voluntary by law enforcement agencies. ADL continues to work with elected officials, law enforcement leaders and community members across New Jersey to improve data collection and reporting and commends the Office of the Attorney General for its improved reporting system, which has significantly enhanced the state’s collection and response efforts since the implementation of the “live reporting” system in 2019.  

Methodology 

The ADL Audit includes both criminal and non-criminal acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of hate propaganda, threats and slurs, as well as vandalism and assault. Compiled using information provided by victims, law enforcement and community leaders, and evaluated by ADL’s professional staff, the Audit provides a regular snapshot of one specific aspect of a nationwide problem while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activity reported. This information assists ADL in developing and enhancing its programs to counter and prevent the spread of antisemitism and other forms of bigotry.         

The Audit offers a snapshot of one of the ways American Jews encounter antisemitism, but a full understanding of antisemitism in the U.S. requires other forms of analysis as well, including  public opinion polling, assessments of online antisemitism and examinations of extremist activity, all of which ADL offers in other reports, such as ADL Global 100, Online Hate and Harassment: The American Experience, Survey on Jewish Americans’ Experiences with Antisemitism, Murder and Extremism, and the ADL Survey of American Attitudes Toward Jews.    

How ADL is Responding

Policy Recommendations   

The 2021 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents documents alarmingly high levels of antisemitism in the United States which require a concerted whole-of-government, whole-of-society response. Regarding potential actions in the policy arena in particular, ADL urges government officials to: 

1. Speak out against antisemitism and all forms of hate.  

Public officials and civic leaders — from the President, to governors, attorneys general, mayors, other civic leaders, and law enforcement authorities — must use their bully pulpits to speak out against antisemitism and all forms of hate and extremism. Regardless of its origins – from the far left to the far right and anywhere in between – leaders must call out antisemitism, including anti-Zionist antisemitism, and rally their communities to action.  

2. Fund protections for communal institutions.  

Federal, state, and local authorities should provide additional funding for security enhancements for at-risk houses of worship, schools, community centers, and other non-profit institutions. At a time of increased attention to extremism and hate-motivated violence, the federal government and states should significantly increase support for the NonProfit Security Grant program funding and institutional security training and outreach. The Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP) provides non-profits with the capacity to increase their defense against these threats, including physical security and cybersecurity capacity and coordination. Congress must continue to grow to fully fund these grants to ensure that communities can address persistent and growing threats. Additionally, the federal government should invest in the Justice Department’s Community Relations Services to help build trust, engage communities, and support victims. CRS has a unique and important role to play in complementing the Justice Department’s law enforcement activities, particularly when those activities involve members of vulnerable and marginalized communities. CRS is charged with pursuing justice and reconciliation throughout all the States and territories, by engaging crime victims, government agencies, civil rights groups and community leaders in healing and conflict resolution. CRS concentrates on developing mutual understanding in communities most challenged by tension and helps them develop local capacity and tools to prevent hate crimes from reoccurring.  

3. Promote education on hate crimes for law enforcement officials.  

While hate crimes are only one type of incident cataloged by the Audit – albeit one of the most egregious – law enforcement’s awareness of such attacks, and its reporting of them, is woefully lacking. The FBI’s most recent release of annual Hate Crime Statistics Act (HCSA) data for 2020 revealed a continuing trend of increasing hate crimes being reported in the U.S. under the federal government’s voluntary reporting regime, even as fewer law enforcement agencies provided data to the FBI.   

When one individual is targeted by a hate crime, it hurts the whole community, and leaves people feeling vulnerable and afraid. That is the nature of a hate crime — it is intended and has the effect of terrorizing and impacting a larger community that shares certain of the identity characteristics that marked the individual target and motivated the attack. Hate crimes are message crimes. Governmental leadership is indispensable to the critical task of improving effectiveness at tracking, mitigating the harms caused by and ultimately, preventing destructive bias-motivated aggression.   

Governments should provide law enforcement officials with the tools and guidance they need to prevent and effectively identify, investigate and respond to hate crimes, while providing trauma-informed comfort and assistance to individual victims and community members. Over time the manifestations of particular antisemitic conspiracies and hate can evolve, and it’s important that law enforcement has access to ongoing education and expertise in order to track such evolutions. Law enforcement also should be educated in community policing best practices. When hate crimes do occur, law enforcement officials must be prepared to take prompt, strong action to investigate every incident – and to hold perpetrators accountable to the full extent of the law. At the same time, depending upon the nature of the crime, the remorse and willingness of a perpetrator to be educated and otherwise make amends, as well as the willingness of the targets/victims, restorative justice options may also be valuable. Additionally, law enforcement agencies should use data from the FBI, Department of Education and NGOs such ADL and Stop AAPI Hate to anticipate where hate incidents are most likely to occur and to proactively contact community members and institutions to strengthen relationships and collaboration.  

4. Improve hate crime data collection.  

Fighting hate crimes is a critical task, especially now that antisemitism, anti-Asian-American violence, threats to HBCUs, and other forms of racism and bigotry are at unusually high levels. The FBI’s annual hate crimes report for 2020 reported a 13 percent increase in hate crimes from the previous year and represented the highest total in almost two decades. A total of 8,263 hate crime incidents were reported, an increase from 7,314 in 2019. Hate crimes targeting the Jewish community made up nearly 55 percent of all religion-based hate crimes in 2020. As disturbing as these statistics are, they only tell us about a small fraction of all hate crimes. Many law enforcement agencies do not participate meaningfully in reporting pursuant to the Hate Crime Statistics Act. In 2020, for the third straight year, the number of law enforcement agencies providing data on hate crimes to the FBI declined. Furthermore, even among agencies that are in theory participating in the program, far too many report zero hate crimes, raising concerns about the accuracy of the numbers. In 2020, 10 cities with a population over 100,000 did not report and 59 cities with a population over 100,000 reported zero hate crimes. Large gaps in data about hate-motivated attacks, along with factors like mistrust between affected communities and police and disincentives to prosecute hate crimes, limit the effectiveness of civil society and law enforcement actors who are working to eliminate hate crime. Significant changes and supportive efforts, up to and including reporting mandates, are necessary to involve all of society in the critical task of combating hate.   

 Congress took a significant step forward in improving our nation’s response to hate crimes by passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in 2021, which incorporated the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act. The new law includes crucial measures to expedite an Attorney General review of hate crimes nationwide and requires the promulgation of guidance to law enforcement agencies regarding best practices for establishing hate crime reporting tools and collecting data on these crimes. It also created new grant programs to provide much-needed resources to establish state-run hate crime hotlines and improve hate crime reporting to the FBI. The Department of Justice has already made strong progress in implementing provisions of this law; however, full implementation of all of the important new grant programs requires that Congress appropriate funds for them. ADL urges Congress to fully appropriate the implementation of the National Incident-Based Reporting System, and to make other critical investments to create state-run hate crime reporting hotlines, and to conduct training and develop protocols for identifying, analyzing, investigating, and reporting hate crimes.   

But passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, followed by this year’s Emmet Till Antilynching Act making lynching a federal hate crime, should not represent the end of Congressional efforts to address hate crimes. There remains significant work to do to implement a comprehensive and data-informed approach to this devastating problem. One key weakness remaining in the current hate crime data collection program is that it relies on voluntary participation by state and local law enforcement. Congress and the Department of Justice must evaluate options for making hate crime reporting mandatory by all law enforcement agencies, such as by leveraging federal criminal justice grants provided to state and local law enforcement agencies.  

5. Promote anti-bias, bullying prevention, civics education, and Holocaust and genocide education programs in elementary and secondary schools.  

Eliminating antisemitism and other forms of bigotry requires government as well as civil society leadership to promote anti-hate and civics education programs in our nation’s schools. Especially in these divided and polarized times, every elementary and secondary school should promote an inclusive school climate and activities that celebrate our nation’s diversity. One critical aspect of that effort is the need to teach the universal lessons of the Holocaust and other instances of genocide. Studies have shown that this can provide an effective means of combating identity-based hate and bigotry. Every state should mandate teaching about the Holocaust. Also, the Department of Education should ensure that guidance prompts local and state school systems to report school-based antisemitic and other biasmotivated incidents, including those perpetrated by someone other than a teacher or student, through the Civil Rights Data Collection program.  

6. Protect Democracy 

The incidents described in this Audit, and the antisemitism that motivates them, are also corrosive of our democracy. Like other forms of identity-based hatred, antisemitic acts intimidate entire communities, and further divide and polarize our polity. Antisemitism dusts off and raises up old tropes and conspiracy theories about Jews as the cause of societal problems and then substitutes acts of hatred and discrimination against a dehumanized group rather than seeking to address problems with real solutions. This is a tried and true tool of extremists, who elevate malevolent conspiracies to erode faith in democratic processes and institutions in favor of more authoritarian and often racially, ethnically or religiously homogeneous regimes. ADL has inaugurated a new organizational priority of Protecting Democracy in response to the threat identity-based hatred and extremism poses to our democratic institutions, processes and norms.   

7. Fight Extremism.  

Whether the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Chabad in Poway, or any number of domestic terrorist incidents in which antisemitism plays a role — such as the January 6th attack on the Capitol — there is an acute threat of antisemitic terrorism and myriad forms of terrorism that integrate antisemitism across ideologies. We must protect the Jewish community from these threats and counter the movements that produce them.   

ADL has created the PROTECT Plan – a comprehensive, bipartisan approach to mitigate the threat of domestic terrorism while protecting civil rights and liberties. The strategic framework includes suggestions related to prioritizing the domestic terrorism threat — which is overwhelmingly from rightwing extremists and in particular white supremacists at this time — providing resources according to that threat, providing law enforcement and the military with the tools needed to address extremists within their ranks, ensure that social media companies are more accountable for dangerous content, and tackle the transnational dimensions of this threat head-on. Together, these steps would have a significant impact on preventing and countering antisemitism by extremists.  

8. Address Online Antisemitism.  

The government has an important role in reducing online hate, harassment, and extremism fueled by antisemitism. Eighty percent of Americans agree there should be more police training and resources to help people with online hate and harassment. And an overwhelming majority of Americans agree that laws should be strengthened to hold perpetrators of online hate accountable for their conduct (81%).     

ADL has created the REPAIR Plan – a comprehensive approach to decrease online hate, harassment, and extremism, including that fueled by antisemitism, and push it back to the fringes of the digital world. In order to comprehensively repair our internet ecosystem, this strategic plan encourages policymakers to:  

• Reorient and Resource Government — to ensure a coordinated, whole of government approach to combat online hate, harassment, and extremism at home and abroad;  
• Expose Platform Manipulation — through transparency mandates and independent research; Put People Over Profit — by disrupting big tech’s business model, including banning surveillance advertising;  
• Advocate for Targets of Online Hate and Harassment — by supporting targets of doxing, swatting, cyberharassment and other forms of digital abuse;  
• Interrupt Disinformation — tackle online hate and extremism to restore trust in our institutions and reverse democratic backsliding;  
• Regulate Platforms — while respecting free speech and promoting competition, advance thoughtful and targeted legislation to end near total immunity for social media companies.  

Regulate Platforms: For Technology Platforms   

Our findings from the 2021 Online Hate and Harassment Report show that the vast majority of the American public — across demographics, political ideology and experience with online harassment — want both government and private technology companies to take more action against online hate and harassment.   

There is a consistent demand by users (81% of respondents) for technology companies to do more to counter online hate and harassment. An overwhelming majority of respondents also agree with recommendations for increased user control of their online space (78%), improved tools for reporting or flagging hateful content (78%), increased transparency (77%), and accountability in the form of independent reports (69%).  

1. Ensure strong policies against hate  

In 2022, there is no excuse for any technology company that operates a digital social platform to not have public-facing community guidelines or standards that comprehensively address hateful content and harassing behavior, and clearly define consequences for violations. While some platforms have comprehensive policies at present, not all do. Platforms that do not have robust public-facing policies show indifference to addressing the harms suffered by vulnerable and marginalized communities. 

2. Enforce policies equitably and at scale  

Technology companies must regularly evaluate how product features and policy enforcement on their social media platforms fuel discrimination, bias and hate and make product/policy improvements based on these evaluations. When something goes wrong on a major social media platform, tech companies blame scale. Millions, even billions, of pieces of content can be uploaded worldwide, shared, viewed and commented upon by millions of viewers in a matter of seconds. This massive scale serves as the justification for “mistakes” in content moderation, even if those mistakes result in violence and death. But scale is not the primary problem— defective policies, bad products and subpar enforcement are. When it comes to enforcement, platforms too often miss something, intentionally refrain from applying the rules for certain users (like elected officials) or have biased algorithms and human moderators who do not equitably apply community guidelines. Companies should also create and maintain diverse teams to mitigate bias when designing consumer products and services, drafting policies, and making content moderation decisions.  

3. Design to reduce the influence and impact of hate by centering the experience of communities targeted by hate  

Technology companies should put people over profit by redesigning their social media platforms and adjusting their algorithms to reduce the impact of hate and harassment. Currently, most platform algorithms are designed to maximize user engagement to keep users logged on for as long as possible to generate advertising revenue. Too often, those algorithms recommend inflammatory content. To address this, tech companies should center the experiences of communities most often targeted by hate in the creation and improvement of their platforms. ADL has modeled this in the development of our Online Hate Index antisemitism machine learning classifier. If a non-profit can create an effective tool to detect online antisemitism by centering the perspective and experience of Jewish volunteers in its development, then technology companies with their vast resources have no excuse not to center the most impacted communities in the technologies they develop.  

4. Expand tools and services for targets of harassment  

Given the prevalence of online hate and harassment, technology companies should ensure their social media platforms offer far more services and tools that are both easily accessed and effective for individuals facing or fearing an online attack. Social media platforms should provide effective, expeditious resources and redress for victims of hate and harassment. For example, users should be allowed to flag multiple pieces of content within one report instead of creating a new report for each piece of content. They should be able to block multiple perpetrators of online harassment at once instead of undergoing the laborious process of blocking them individually. More specific suggestions on anti-hate by design principles that can be implemented by tech companies as they design or redesign their platforms can be found in ADL’s Social Pattern Library.  

5. Improve transparency and increase oversight  

Technology companies must produce regular transparency reports and submit to regularly scheduled external, independent audits so that the public knows the extent of hate and harassment on their platforms. Transparency reports must be expanded to include far more than the small amount of important data about online hate they now include. They should include data from user-generated, identity-based reporting. For example, if users report they were targeted because they were Jewish, that can then be aggregated to become a subjective measure of the scale and nature of antisemitic content on a platform. This metric would be useful to researchers and practitioners developing solutions to these problems. Platforms should also provide transparency regarding non-removal related content moderation actions they take. For example, if a platform decides not to remove a category of antisemitic or hateful content but instead de-amplify the degree to which content in that category can be shared or engaged with, they should report on the number of those actions taken alongside removals. In addition to transparency about policies and content moderation, companies can increase transparency related to their products. At present, technology companies have little to no transparency in terms of how they build, improve and fix the products embedded into their platforms to address hate and harassment. In addition to transparency reports, technology companies should allow third-party audits of their work on content moderation on their platforms. Audits would also allow the public to verify that the company followed through on its stated actions and to assess the effectiveness of company efforts across time.   

Take Action   

Antisemitic incidents are an all-too-common reality in our communities. Here are three ways you can take action against antisemitism and fight hate for good with ADL.   

SPEAK UP   

Report an Antisemitic, Bias or Discriminatory Incident   

We can’t do this alone. Because of thousands of people like you who have reported incidents, we have been able to help communities across the country by reporting on trends, educating lawmakers and law enforcement and advocating for stronger protections from incidents and crimes. If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of antisemitism, extremism, bias, bigotry or hate, please report it using our incident form. When you hear of an incident happening to a loved one, friend or community member, share with them that they can report the incident to ADL.   

SHARE FACTS   

Learn more about fighting antisemitism. ADL has a variety of resources [anchor link to main Take Action resources section] to help you learn more about the root causes of antisemitism and hate and share that information with others.