Rep. Derek Schmidt Questions Experts on Online Antisemitism and Big Tech Discrimination

Online Threats and Antisemitism

• 💡 The discussion highlights the connection between online rhetoric and real-world violence, exemplified by the 2014 Overland Park, Kansas shooting by Frazier Glenn Cross (Miller).
• 🎯 Derek Schmidt shared personal connections to antisemitic violence, referencing the Kansas shooting and the recent murder of a Kansan, Sarah Mgram, in Washington D.C.
• 🔍 Experts are exploring what government actions are permissible in response to hateful online discussions, considering the First Amendment boundaries.

Big Tech and Discrimination

• ⚖️ Mr. Schneider raised concerns about big tech platforms arguing for a First Amendment right to discriminate, comparing it to a "resurrection of an even worse version of the pie versus Ferguson standard of separate but equal."
• 🚫 Platforms are accused of discriminating based on race, faith, or political speech, with examples of Jewish individuals being removed from ride-share services and accounts being shut down.
• 🏛️ There's a call for Congress to investigate and push back against big tech, suggesting these platforms should be treated as common carriers and not allowed to discriminate.

Online Incitement Against Jewish Community

• ⚠️ Miss Cooper detailed common online threats against the Jewish community, particularly incitement to violence and murder, which escalate during geopolitical events like the conflict with Iran.
• 📢 Specific examples include posts from groups like the Palestinian Youth Movement and NJP, with slogans such as "death to occupation" and "the empire will fall from Gaza to tyran."