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The letters, announced by the Attorney General's Office on Friday, Oct. 13, all request that each company provide thorough explanations of how they are stopping the spread of hateful content that encourages violence against Jewish and Muslim people or institutions in the aftermath of violent attacks committed against Israel by the Hamas militant group.
James sent the letters to Google; Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram; X, formerly known as Twitter; TikTok, Reddit; and Rumble. Each one asks the companies to explain some of the following:
- What actions they have taken to address calls for violence against Jewish and Muslim people and institutions;
- What actions they have taken to address the possibility that their platform may be used to plan, encourage, and share any such violent acts;
- Any internal policies that help determine what content can be considered a call for violence and be subject to removal;
- Any policies regarding the discipline, suspension, or banning of users for posting content that has been removed for spreading calls of violence.
"In the wake of Hamas’ unspeakable atrocities, social media has been widely used by bad actors to spread horrific material, disseminate threats, and encourage violence,” James said, adding, "These platforms have a responsibility to keep their users safe and prohibit the spread of violent rhetoric that puts vulnerable groups in danger."
According to James' office, both antisemitic and Islamophobic threats have been found spreading online following the Hamas attacks. This includes a report from the Anti-Defamation League showing a rise in antisemitic threats and conspiracies, officials said.
"I am calling on these companies to explain how they are addressing threats and how they will ensure that no online platform is used to further terrorist activities," James said.
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