Address social media to counter anti-Semitism: inquiry

A royal commission has been informed by academics and policy experts that social media, among other factors, is undermining support for democracy and creating distrust, polarization, and extremist narratives. The commission is investigating the worst terror attack on Australian soil. Professors Nicholas Biddle and Matthew Gray from the Australian National University spoke to the commission about their June report, which found that satisfaction with democracy had reached its lowest level since January 2023, while principled support for democracy had increased.

Professor Gray emphasized that addressing anti-Semitism will be limited unless it also tackles the platforms through which distrust, polarization, and extremist narratives spread, such as social media. He suggested that targeted interventions, particularly for young Australians with low educational attainment who display significantly low levels of principal democratic support, would be more effective than universal efforts to counter anti-Semitism.

The commission also heard from representatives of various cultural groups who expressed concern about increased polarization and stressed the importance of cross-cultural communication.