The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has launched a new social media campaign aimed at Gen Z consumers on platforms like TikTok and other video-sharing apps. The campaign promotes survivor testimonials and content from TikTok creators to counter Holocaust denial and misinformation.

ADL timed the rollout of this campaign to coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 5-6 and runs it throughout May, which is Jewish American Heritage Month. Well-known TikTok creators recruited include Ellie Zeiler, Eitan Bernath, Montana Tucker, Carly Weinstein, and Tova and Aron Friedman.

In a 2023 report, ADL found that major social platforms fail to effectively moderate and remove Holocaust denial content, with no platform scoring higher than a C+ grade. Recent surveys also show many Americans lack basic facts about the genocide. Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory claiming Jews fabricated evidence of their own genocide.

“At a time when denial is rising and knowledge about the Holocaust is diminishing among young people, there’s a need to reach this demographic with testimonials and factual information,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt stated in the announcement. “Our creators will help young people learn how to spot lies, spread facts, and not repeat or share false information about the Holocaust.”

Under the theme “Spot Lies. Spread Facts,” the campaign utilizes educational materials from Echoes & Reflections, a multimedia curriculum created by ADL, USC Shoah Foundation, and Yad Vashem. It’s part of an ongoing effort to raise Holocaust awareness among young Americans by working with educators and targeting content directly to teens online.

In her TikTok video, Holocaust survivor Tova Freidman states, “I saw the shootings, hangings, gassing, and burnings…undeniable evidence…in Auschwitz. And they say to my face that it never happened…Help us fight the spread of misinformation.”

ADL also supports legislation ensuring consistent, appropriate Holocaust education in schools, like the Never Again Education Act providing federal funding. They urge backing for related bills like the Never Again Reauthorization Act, HEAL Act, and Countering Antisemitism Act.