Amy Schumer, Jason Biggs among celebs calling on TikTok to do more to combat 'rampant antisemitism'
More than 30 Hollywood stars and influencers — including Amy Schumer, Debra Messing, Brett Gelman and Eitan Bernath — are signing their names on a letter to TikTok, saying the company has failed to address “rampant antisemitism” that has put the public figures in “digital and physical danger.”
“Your platform is not safe for Jewish users,” stated the open letter issued Wednesday to TikTok.
“Simply put, TikTok lacks critical safety features to protect Jewish content creators and the broader Jewish TikTok community,” the message said, adding the company’s employees “are not doing enough.”
“Your Jewish creators — who regularly enliven the For You page with videos of dancing, cooking, singing, and positivity of all kinds — are being bombarded with abhorrent inhumanity solely due to our ethno-religious identity,” the letter said.
Calling the hate “not rare, spontaneous or unexpected,” the letter said the “rampant antisemitism is a common problem TikTok has failed to address for far too long.”
The letter, which ITK hears was spearheaded by “Eitan Eats the World” chef Bernath, singer Montana Tucker and fashion influencer Ellie Zeiler, said, “death threats, endless threatening comments on posts (many just for being Jewish), and a barrage of harassment in all forms on TikTok-facilitated interaction” were occurring well before Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel’s southern border.
“We oppose antisemitism in all forms,” a TikTok spokesperson told ITK in a statement.
“Antisemitism is on the rise globally, and we're committed to doing our part to fight it. We've taken important steps to protect our community and prevent the spread of hate, and we appreciate ongoing, honest dialogue and feedback as we continually work to strengthen these protections,” the TikTok representative said.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the letter said, “the hate directed at Jewish content creators has been compounded to unimaginable degrees. It’s relentless and, worst of all, it’s largely permitted.”
“As Jews, we are scared, distraught, and at a breaking point,” the message to TikTok said.
“This isn’t just ‘digital harassment.’ There are real world implications,” it said.
“Anger fueled by TikTok has led directly to antisemitic harassment, assault, and vandalism. We are scared to leave our homes. We feel compelled to hire armed security. We are frightened to post for fear of receiving more suffocating digital hate.”
A TikTok spokesperson noted that between April and June, the platform removed more than 106 million videos for violating its community guidelines. The company said 97 percent of those videos that were removed were taken down proactively — before they were reported by users.
Urging TikTok to fix its safety tools, make greater efforts to moderate content and create a community manager role, among other suggested improvements, the letter said, “Let’s be clear: This moment isn’t just another cultural conflict or trending conversation.”
“The inaction in the face of Jew-hatred that we are experiencing today is also how the Holocaust started. Yes, it’s a dramatic historical analogy, but it’s never been more necessary to point out,” the group said.
“And like last time, there are many other marginalized groups similarly impacted. TikTok’s failure to protect its most vulnerable communities hurts all vulnerable communities.”
Some of the other signers of the letter include fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, actors Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen, comedian Judy Gold, Michael Rapaport of “Only Murders in the Building,” cookbook writer Jake Cohen and “My Unorthodox Life’s” Batsheva Haart.
“TikTok calls itself a platform that can be for everyone and benefit all, but we are telling you: Jewish creators and users are not safe,” the letter said.
“Please do better to protect us.”