A coordinated campaign to spread antisemitic memes and images on Twitter resulted in more than 1,200 tweets and retweets featuring the offensive content, according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League.
The tweets identified by the A.D.L. added to a flurry of racist, transphobic and rule-breaking content that coursed through Twitter on Friday after Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, had officially taken control of the platform. Mr. Musk has promised to loosen content moderation rules in the name of “free speech,” worrying many who believe the changes will allow offensive content to spread on the platform.
The A.D.L. said the antisemitic tweet campaign was hatched on 4chan, the fringe message board that is loosely moderated and where hate speech has thrived. On Thursday, an anonymous 4chan user posted instructions for sharing antisemitic content on Twitter after Mr. Musk’s takeover was made official. The post was circulated on Telegram, the chat app popular with the far right, according to the A.D.L.
“Now that Elon is taking over Twitter it’s time to finally put our skills to use,” read the post, which told users to argue with Jewish users and “like” tweets from other participants.
The anonymous user also credited Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who was restricted from posting on Twitter nearly two weeks ago after sharing an antisemitic tweet. The sentiment was included in tweets sent on Friday as part of the campaign.
“Ye broke the dam,” read one tweet identified by the A.D.L., which included an antisemitic meme that was widely circulated on unmoderated message boards.
“We hope Musk will take the necessary technical and policy measures to assure Twitter does not become a hellscape and haven for antisemitism, extremism and hate,” Oren Segal, the vice president of the A.D.L.’s Center on Extremism, said in an email. “This coordinated antisemitic campaign suggests time is of the essence.”
Several accounts that posted prohibited material on Friday were suspended from the platform.
Mr. Musk said in a tweet on Friday that the company would not be making major content decisions or reinstating banned accounts until a “content moderation council” had been formed. He did not provide additional details about the council or his plans.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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