The vast majority of Jewish people living in America, 91 percent, say they feel less safe now in the United States than a year ago, a recent report found. Their fear is driven by rising online hate and violent attacks.
Two organizations, the American Jewish Committee and Cyberwell, have partnered to expand work with major tech and social media companies to combat online antisemitism, officials said this week.
“Online antisemitism is not a new problem – but it is one that is constantly evolving, and so must our response,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement.
“As more people rely on these platforms for news and entertainment, bad actors have become disturbingly skilled at spreading hate, masking antisemitic conspiracies as fact, and exploiting algorithms to deepen division,” Deutch said.
“Combating digital antisemitism—the most predominant source of antisemitism today—demands precision, transparency, and real accountability from tech companies,“ Deutch said.
The AJC’s partnership with CyberWell strengthens its tools in that fight, complementing the work we are driving with leaders in government, education, the private sector, and partner communities.”
The formalized partnership will build on the work that AJC and CyberWell have already undertaken together, including direct engagement with major technology and social media companies.
Over the last six months, the organizations have crafted and presented targeted reports—including to Meta and X— that reflect American Jews’ experiences on their platforms, officials said.
These reports include recommendations and urgent steps to address the anti-Jewish hate the community experiences, specifically on each platform, and reflect an individualized approach for each company, recognizing the opportunities and challenges each faces.
Additional reports are planned in the coming months.
Complementing these reports, AJC and CyberWell will also continue to provide joint training for tech and social media platforms’ trust-and-safety teams and senior leadership. CyberWell will also support AJC’s policy and research initiatives, including the AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America Report, through data sharing and consultations.
The report, released in February, found that 73% of American Jews say they have experienced antisemitism online—either by seeing or hearing it or by being personally targeted.
One-in-five, or 21%, of American Jews who experienced antisemitism online say they felt physically threatened by these incidents, the report found.
Online platforms and social media are also where most Americans encounter antisemitism, according to the report.
Among U.S. adults who reported seeing or hearing antisemitism in the past 12 months, nearly three-quarters, or 74%, said they encountered it online or on social media, the report found. The next most common source was friends or family, cited by 20% of respondents.
The need to address online hate is “more urgent than ever,” CyberWell CEO and Founder Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor said in a statement.
“We’re thrilled to expand CyberWell and the AJC’s working relationship which brings CyberWell’s innovative, tech and solutions-based approach to AJC’s powerful policy, education and engagement initiatives,” Montemayor said.
“Our joint work will act as a catalyst, multiplying the impact of our missions to combat the spread of antisemitism online at a time when collaboration between communal organizations, social media platforms, and tech-based solutions, like CyberWell, are more urgent than ever,” Montemayor said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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