'New normal': Levels of antisemitic content on Telegram higher than before Oct 7, ADL finds

The October 7 massacre and subsequent war have led to a troubling proliferation of violent antisemitic content on Telegram, according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism released on Tuesday. 

The Hamas attack resulted in an initial massive spike in violent antisemitic discourse on Telegram, which has subsequently remained persistently high, the ADL found.

The levels of violent antisemitism, which are greater than before the war, suggest a ‘new normal.’

ADL’s analysis found that, the same day of the October 7 massacre, there was a 433.76% increase in violent antisemitic posts on Telegram. This translates into an average increase of 238.12 posts per day to 1271 posts. 

While this initial surge has settled over time, the ADL found that the average daily volume of antisemitic posts on Telegram is still significantly higher than pre-October 7 levels.

The number of unique users actively forwarding antisemitic content surged from 12.18 weekly to 20.96.

Antisemitic activity was also found to be particularly concentrated in a subset of Telegram channels known for extremism, such as GHOSTCHAT and GDL Chat 2.0.

Telegram has been one of the platforms at the forefront of content related to the Israel-Hamas war, and is one of the few social media platforms where Hamas, Hezbollah and other terror groups are able to post regularly without significant restrictions.

This, as the ADL affirms, is partly due to Telegram’s privacy protections and lack of prohibition on hate speech. The platform therefore attracts extremists, and myriad antisemitic and anti-Israel groups and individuals.

Telegram controversies

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested in Paris at the end of August  on suspicion of terrorism, narcotic supply, fraud, money laundering, receiving stolen goods and others.

Telegram’s moderation policies have been reportedly lax since the app’s conception, and the app’s privacy and encryption policies are known to attract groups looking to spread hateful content. The platform has faced issues of misinformation and hate speech, especially antisemitic speech following October 7, 2023.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson in April, Durov said he wanted to make Telegram a “neutral platform” which “defend[s] our users’ privacy and freedom of speech.”

In a statement about the new data, the ADL said “Telegram’s failure to address extremism and violent antisemitism on its platform is concerning.”

“The data suggest that users who hold antisemitic views are feeling emboldened to express them more frequently and forthrightly.”

The ADL added that the research highlighted the consequences of a tech company not taking steps against extremism on its platform.