Facebook has announced the new educational tool to combat Holocaust denial on its platform on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. (Photo credit: Facebook)
SAN FRANCISCO – Facebook is working to combat Holocaust denial by adding a new fact-checking tool that appears when users search for terms related to the Holocaust. The move is part of the company’s effort to take action against conspiracy theories and misinformation on the platform amid criticism that it is not doing enough.
Anyone searching on Facebook for terms related to the Holocaust or Holocaust denial will see a message titled “Learning About the Holocaust”, which contains a link to credible information about the Nazi genocide during the Holocaust. Read World War II.
This link leads users to aboutholocaust.org, created by the World Jewish Congress with the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site shares facts about the evidence about the Holocaust and survivors, which were reviewed by experts in the field of Holocaust studies.
The new pop-up tool was announced on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a global commemoration on January 27 to commemorate the end of the Holocaust tragedy and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.
The United Nations General Assembly has designated the day to coincide with the commemoration of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
“We remember the lives of the six million Jews who were systematically persecuted and killed, along with members of other minority groups, by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust,” Facebook said in a report on the new tool. “We honor the memories of the victims and acknowledge the role we can play in fulfilling the ‘Never Again’ promise.”
Facebook said the fact-checking tool would first be available in English-speaking countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the US. It will expand to more languages and countries in the coming months.
The social media giant has come under scrutiny over the past few years for not taking enough action against hate speech and disinformation on its platform. In October, Facebook banned posts denying or distorting the Holocaust.
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According to a recent report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the platform is still struggling to effectively address anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
The organization, which fights anti-Semitism, has released a report card in which various social media platforms have been rated over these efforts, giving Facebook and Instagram a ‘D’, along with Discord, Reddit and Steam. Twitch received a ‘B’, while Twitter, YouTube, Roblox and TikTok earned ‘Cs’ for their efforts.
A survey conducted in September found that 49% of American adults under the age of 40 were denied or distorted by social media through the Holocaust.
“In recent years, Holocaust denial content has appeared on a variety of social media platforms, mainly because those businesses were not smart enough or took the matter seriously,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of ADL. ‘While some platforms have ultimately made efforts to stop the intensification of denial, others are still struggling to effectively address anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
“This is truly outrageous at a time when anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are spreading worldwide, some are outrageously based on the great lie that the Holocaust never took place,” Greenblatt added.
The American Jewish Committee, which recognizes Facebook as a partner in the development of the new educational tool for the Holocaust, calls it a ‘proactive step’.
“The new pop-up treatment is a proactive step by Facebook for truthful education in the Holocaust. But the priority remains to ensure that Holocaust denial is completely removed from Facebook,” said David Harris, CEO of the United States. Jewish Committee, said in a statement.
This story was reported from Cincinnati.