Cutting Edge Research Discovers Anti-Semitic and Anti-Muslim Hate Speech Ads Approved by Facebook and X Ahead of German Elections

In a startling revelation cast against the backdrop of a bitterly contested election in Germany, social media juggernauts, Facebook, and a platform we will refer to as X, stand accused of approving ad campaigns suffused with hate speech aimed squarely at Muslims and Jews. This disturbing finding, courtesy of a corporate responsibility non-profit campaign group named Eko, paints a damning picture of the tech giants’ content moderation efforts—or lack thereof—particularly at a crucial juncture during the build-up to high-stakes federal elections.

Eko’s researchers analysed Facebook and X’s ad review systems to verify whether these would greenlight ads espousing hate speech and endorsing violence against minority communities. One might think this would be an unthinkable outcome but, shockingly, ads featuring anti-Muslim slurs, calls for immigrants to be interned in concentration camps or exterminated via gassing, or AI-generated images of mosques and synagogues ablaze, were actually approved, mostly within hours of submission.

Eko’s findings pull into sharp relief a critical vulnerability within the content moderation protocols utilised by Meta and X. This could have dire consequences, influencing voting outcomes and exacerbating already occur social and political tensions. This revelation poses a fundamental question about the role and responsibility of social media platforms in curating their content and protecting their users from violent, hate-filled propaganda, bearing in mind their immense reach and impact. It also opens a wider conversation about the ethics and accountability of tech giants in the era of digital transformation.