The same holds true online: fighting  

anti-Semitism and bigotry requires all  

of us to act decisively.  

 

When you discover hate online, here are  

some strategies to fight back.

Flag. 

 Many sites, such as 

YouTube, allow users to flag 

offensive content for review. Many 

also allow you to say why you 

thought something was offensive.  

If so, make sure to include detailed 

comments as to why you thought 

the item was hateful.

 

Speak.

 Â Post videos, counter-

points of view, or comments  

that oppose the offensive point  

of view. Let the social networking community see a 

competing perspective.

 

Think.

 Â Perspective is crucial. Think before you respond, 

 and try to respond in a thoughtful, careful manner.

 

Applaud. 

Don’t forget to post positive comments on 

content that shares positive messages.  

 

Talk.

 Talk to your friends, teachers, or family about what 

you’ve seen.

 

Learn. 

 Many groups publish information about combating 

particular kinds of bigotry, hate and prejudice, such as the 

Anti-Defamation League’s resources on anti-Semitism.

 

E-mail. Â 

Notify groups like the Anti-Defamation League, 

which keep track of trends in hate speech.

 

Act.

 Take active steps to combat 

prejudice online and offline.

 

Know. 

 Know the community 

with which you are dealing.  Look 

for a site’s Terms of Service or 

Community Guidelines and find 

out about the kind of site the 

company wants to run – many 

say that they do not wish to host 

hateful content – and hold the 

site accountable to it.  

 

A word about free speech and censorship. 

  

ADL is a leading advocate for free speech and does not 

believe in government suppression of hateful speech merely 

because it is hateful.  However, many websites and social 

networking sites voluntarily agree to exercise good corporate 

responsibility and limit the hateful content they purvey.  In 

such cases, we believe that users should speak out firmly 

against the hate they encounter on those sites, and in turn 

the sites should live up to their stated Terms of Service or 

Community Guidelines.

 

For more information, go to www.adl.org/combating-hate/cyber-safety

Confronting Hate Online

Because of the enormous volume of content, 

Internet companies typically rely on users  

to bring problems to their attention. ADL’s  

Cyber-Safety Action Guide allows users to  

quickly access the policies of major companies 

and make their complaints heard.

www.adl.org/cybersafety 

© 2014

The Anti-Defamation League  

has long empowered bystanders to become  

allies in the fight against hate.