December 19th 2024.
Recently, there has been growing concern over a network of neo-Nazi TikTok accounts based in Australia. These accounts have been sharing white nationalist content and actively trying to recruit new members. Despite being banned by TikTok, the group continues to resurface with new accounts appearing shortly after the old ones are taken down.
The photos and videos shared by these accounts glorify Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, while also promoting the idea of a "white ethnostate" in Australia. When 9news.com.au brought attention to this issue, TikTok responded by deleting the accounts. However, it was not long before replacement accounts popped up and continued to spread their hateful rhetoric.
With the recent increase in antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, Jewish leaders are calling on TikTok to take more decisive action in preventing this group's dangerous ideas from "spilling onto our streets." They are concerned about the impact these accounts could have on the community and are urging TikTok to do more to stop their messages from spreading.
These accounts are linked to the Australian neo-Nazi group known as the "National Socialist Network." They are primarily based in different states and operated for 17 days before being shut down on Tuesday. Some of the accounts went by names like "European Australian Movement" or "White Australia Victoria," showcasing their extremist views.
The group's posts often featured heavily edited photos of their neo-Nazi gatherings or videos of them trying to disrupt other protests. In one post, the WA account boasted about having multiple groups in every state and encouraged people to join and get involved. They also promoted their chats on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
On December 9, 9News.com.au reached out to TikTok to inquire about the presence of this content on their platform and what steps they were taking to remove it. A week later, the accounts were finally taken down, but not before some of their videos had amassed tens of thousands of views. However, it seems that some replacement accounts are already active, with slight variations in their usernames.
In the wake of recent antisemitic attacks, experts have condemned the neo-Nazi content on TikTok and are calling for more action to be taken. Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, Dr Dvir Abramovich, believes that TikTok needs to do more than just play "whack-a-mole" with these hate groups. He urges the platform to use more advanced technology to detect and remove this content before it can spread.
He also suggests implementing permanent bans, IP blocking, and digital fingerprinting to completely cut off these groups' access to the platform. Dr. Abramovich warns that if TikTok does not take a stand now, they are not only allowing these groups to spread their hate, but they are complicit in it.
Another leader in the Jewish community, Dr Max Kaiser, shares the same concerns. He believes that these accounts are targeting vulnerable individuals, particularly young men, and that urgent action needs to be taken by the Australian government and the esafety commissioner to prevent social media platforms from being used for recruitment by hateful and racist groups.
The recent attack on the Adass Israel synagogue serves as a reminder of the real-world consequences of allowing these extremist views to spread unchecked. The Jewish community is calling on TikTok to take responsibility and stop these accounts from spreading their dangerous ideology.
When approached for comment, TikTok stated that they were investigating the issue and in the process of taking the accounts down. However, they did not provide any further comment. In the meantime, concerned individuals can stay informed by downloading the 9NEWS app, which provides updates on the latest news, sports, politics, and weather.
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