Jewish celebrities join influencers in signing ‘Dear TikTok’ letter amid rising antisemitism – NBC New York

Amy Schumer, Michael Rappaport and Jason Biggs are among the Jewish celebrities who joined content creators in signing an open letter to TikTok calling on the social media platform to do more to protect them from rising anti-Semitism in to protect the app.

Since the beginning of the Israeli-Hamas war, a flood of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric has spread on social media. Jewish social media influencers say TikTok isn’t doing enough to combat online hate.

“TikTok lacks critical security features to protect Jewish content creators and the broader Jewish TikTok community, putting us at digital and physical risk,” the letter said.

The letter goes on to detail the “abhorrent inhumanity” that the app’s Jewish creators have experienced since the militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

According to the letter, YouTubers receive death threats, threatening comments on their posts, and harassment in all forms on a daily basis. The letters say that these creators have long been subjected to anti-Semitism on the app, but that it has “intensified to an unimaginable extent” in light of recent events.

Those who signed the letter say digital harassment is having real-world impacts, forcing them to be afraid to leave their homes and forcing them to consider hiring armed security guards.

The letter compares the current wave of anti-Semitism to the early roots of the Holocaust.

“Yes, it is a dramatic historical analogy, but it has never been more necessary to point out,” the letter said. “And like last time, there are many other marginalized groups who are similarly affected. TikTok’s failure to protect its most vulnerable communities harms all vulnerable communities.”

The letter further calls on TikTok to take concrete action to combat hate on the app.

The first action point involves YouTubers calling on TikTok to fix their security tools, claiming the current protocol is not simple or effective.

The second point asks the app to “moderate content fairly, equally and securely”. The YouTubers say they have reported various threats of violence directed at them. The reports were often met with a lack of cultural sensitivity and competence.

The third action point calls for better control of misinformation in the app.

“TikTok must provide these videos with warnings, similar to COVID-19 misinformation warnings, alerting viewers that they may be viewing inaccurate information and recommending verified sources of information,” the letter said.

The final point asks Tiktok to establish a community manager role dedicated to Jewish creators and the broader atmosphere of the Jewish Tiktok community. Tiktok has created similar roles for other minority groups, the letter says.

The creators end the letter by asking Tiktok to “do better to protect them.”

In addition to celebrity signatures, over three dozen social media influencers and public figures signed the letter.

In a statement to NBC, TikTok said that since October 7, they have removed over 775,000 videos and closed over 14,000 livestreams that violated their community guidelines.

“We are against anti-Semitism in all forms. Anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide and we are committed to doing our part to combat it,” a TikTok spokesperson said. “We have taken important steps to protect our community and prevent the spread of hate, and we value ongoing, honest dialogue and feedback as we continually work to strengthen these protections.”