Poll finds dramatic increase in online harassment, especially against Jews, other minority groups, and teens.

A survey by the ADL found that 47 percent of American teens and 40 percent of all those polled experienced online harassment, with social media companies blamed for not doing enough to police content on their platform.

The ADL’s fourth annual survey on online hate and harassment reported that 65 percent of respondents in marginalized groups, including Jews and people of color, experienced harassment based on their identity, with 72 percent of marginalized youth (ages 13-17) reported being harassed because of an aspect of their identity.

“Social media companies are nowhere near where they need to be when it comes to hate and harassment on their platforms. It’s especially upsetting to see so many young people are having such negative experiences online,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “We must expand our efforts to hold tech companies accountable as online spaces are still unsafe, particularly for those in marginalized communities.”

“Hate-based harassment may drive marginalized groups away from online spaces, even as these spaces become central to public discourse, further undermining democracy and free speech,” Greenblatt said.

The survey’s data found that rates of hate and harassment varied across platforms, with the survey examining Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Source: Arutz 7