The German Federal Government’s Commissioner for Jewish Life and the Fight against Antisemitism, Felix Klein, has warned about the growing spread of antisemitic content across social media platforms and has called for tighter regulation of platform operators.
In an interview with the Rheinische Post, Klein singled out TikTok and Telegram as particularly significant amplifiers of antisemitic propaganda, urging a more coordinated response at both national and international level.
Klein described TikTok and Telegram as a “fuel accelerant for antisemitism”, arguing that many platform operators do not accept sufficient responsibility for the content shared on their services. He criticised the common defence that they are merely intermediaries, calling this stance “the wrong approach”.
He argued that platform liability should be brought closer into line with press law standards. “What applies offline in press law – namely the responsibility of editorial teams for their content – must also apply to internet platforms,” he told the Rheinische Post.
Klein also warned that antisemitic networks are becoming increasingly transnational, linking individuals and groups across continents. He noted that slogans and narratives used at demonstrations in one country are often replicated verbatim elsewhere.
However, he argued that political responses remain largely confined within national frameworks. According to Klein, this creates a structural disadvantage that urgently needs to be addressed through stronger international coordination.
Addressing Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Klein, who is due to leave office at the end of the summer, urged the government to appoint his successor without delay to avoid a leadership gap.
He stated that he will remain in office until the end of August and suggested that a Cabinet decision should ideally be made before the Berlin summer recess in early July.
