Antisemitism continues to grow across the world, and on Holocaust Remembrance Day, one Toronto museum is looking to spotlight the harms of sharing misinformation online.
Today, the Toronto Holocaust Museum is launching its “It’s Critical to Think Critically” campaign, a practical guide to help young Canadians indentify misinformation and curb the spread of hate.
Holocaust Remembrance Day serves as a stark reminder of the atrocities inflicted upon Jewish people during the Holocaust and commemorates the six million who were murdered by the Nazis between 1941 and 1945.
Today marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, but Executive Director of the Holocaust museum, Dara Solomon, says the conflict in Gaza, which is currently under a ceasefire, has accelerated hate towards Jewish people in recent years.
Solomon referenced a particular online phenomenon called Holocaust Inversion; the likening of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to the Nazi’s handling of Jewish people, which she says is often weaponized in digital discourse.
“I think comparisons between Israel and the Nazis has definitely gained traction,” she said, adding that it “minimizes the Holocaust, and spurs confusion among people who don’t really understand the complexity of the region and don’t really understand the relationship between Jewish people to the land of Israel.”
Given the proportion of people who consume news online, the spread of such rhetoric has real life repercussions, according to the museum.
A recent survey conducted by the institution found that 61 per cent of Torontonians rely on social media platforms for news; that figure jumps to 80 per cent amongst Gen Z.
Nonetheless, 82 per cent say they do not always verify what they read.
“It’s not just a perception that social media incites antisemitic crimes; the data confirms it,” the museum added.
Since Oct. 7, Toronto has seen a 69 per cent increase in hate crimes against Jewish people, the Holocaust museum found.
In a police report in June 2024, investigators said antisemitic attacks accounted for almost 45 per cent of all Toronto’s reported hate crimes the year prior, with 130 reported against Jewish people in 2023.
Meanwhile, Black people were the second most targeted group, with 46 reported hate crimes against them, followed by the Muslim community, with 28 hate crimes reported against its members.
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“This poses a troubling reality given 76 per cent of Torontonians believe social media spreads antisemitism,” the museum added.
WHAT IS MISINFORMATION AND HOW DOES IT SPREAD?
University of Toronto professor Jeffrey Dvorkin, who is an expert in the spread of disinformation and misinformation, told Now Toronto that there is an important distinction to be made between misinformation and disinformation.
Misinformation refers to the unintentional sharing of false information, whereas disinformation is “the deliberate spreading of known falsehoods,” he explained, adding that the problem with digital culture is that it presumes the internet is “inherently democratic.”
“It allows for a kind of a sharing of information, both true and false…[and says] your opinion is as good as anybody else’s, so don’t, don’t hold back,” he continued.
This paints an online landscape riddled with unverified data and fosters contempt for expertise, Dvorkin explained.
In addition, Dvorkin says the internet lacks a structurally sound system of accountability.
“There should be some kind of obligation that is both governmental and non-governmental…a combination of legal pressure, some government pressure, some media pressure, and some educational pressure,” he said.
The Holocaust Museum echoed Dvorkin’s sentiment.
“The past stands as a warning we can’t ignore,” it said in a statement, adding that there is a pressing need “to combat the unchecked spread of misinformation, specifically among younger generations shaping the future.”
HOW TO VERIFY INFORMATION BEFORE YOU SHARE IT
If people are unsure about the validity of information they see online, Dvorkin recommends tracing the source and checking its website to see if there is an option to contact the publisher. If there isn’t, that’s a tell-tale sign that the source is questionable, he says.
Meanwhile, the Holocaust Museum advises optimizing your digital literacy by familiarizing yourself with reputable sources. These include places such as libraries, archives and museums, scholarly, peer reviewed articles, and information that is collected and verified by educational and academic institutions.
It also emphasizes the importance of questioning sources, evaluating intent and employing fact checking tools.
Nonetheless, both acknowledge that the pace at which information is shared creates hurdles to verification.
People simply do not have the time, capacity or desire to check what they are looking at is true, even if they have a hunch it isn’t, Dvorkin explained, adding that “technology has diminished our ability to engage in critical thinking, we have been “intellectually orphaned by the internet,” he said.
The museum says the solution is to equip people with the tools to consume information in a way that is productive.
“Navigating the online world responsibly and ensuring you intake information wisely requires a set of practical skills and strategies to help discern accurate content from misinformation or disinformation,” the museum guide says.
On the topic of misinformation and the spread of antisemitism specifically, Dvorkin cited an observation made by British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, who says, “the restraint against antisemitic expressions has been removed.”
To access the Holocaust Museum’s guide to validating online sources, click here.
