TikTok’s New Anti-Hate Czar: Ex-IDF Soldier to Crush Antisemitism
TikTok has hired Erica Mindel, a former Israeli military instructor, to lead its hate speech policies, targeting a 912% rise in antisemitic content since October 2023. The appointment, influenced by the ADL, has ignited debate over potential bias in content moderation amid U.S. regulatory pressures.
In a bold move to address rampant antisemitism on its platform, TikTok has appointed Erica Mindel, a former Israeli military instructor, as its new Public Policy Manager for Hate Speech, starting July 2025. Mindel, who served two and a half years in the Israeli Defense Forces’ Armored Corps and Spokesperson’s Unit, is tasked with shaping TikTok’s hate speech policies, influencing legislative frameworks, and analyzing trends, with a specific focus on antisemitic content. According to TikTok’s job description provided to Jewish Insider, she will “develop and drive the company’s positions on hate speech” and act as the platform’s expert on antisemitism. Her LinkedIn profile confirms her role, emphasizing her mission to curb online hate.
Mindel’s appointment follows her tenure as a U.S. State Department contractor under Deborah Lipstadt, the Biden administration’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, from 2022 to 2025. The position was created after a 2024 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) convening, with ADL’s national director of antisemitism policy, Dan Granot, noting it as a “key recommendation for all social media platforms.” TikTok faces intense scrutiny, with a Jewish Federations of North America study revealing a 912% surge in antisemitic comments since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,189 and abducted 251. The study found that users spending over 30 minutes daily on TikTok are 17% more likely to hold anti-Semitic or anti-Israel views, compared to 6% on Instagram and 2% on X.
The hire has sparked controversy, with Palestinian digital rights group Sada Social warning that Mindel’s IDF background could bias content moderation, citing TikTok’s 94% compliance with Israeli government content removal requests in 2024. Social media on X reflects polarized sentiment, with one user stating, “TikTok’s move shows they’re serious about antisemitism,” while another claimed, “This risks silencing Palestinian voices.” Amid U.S. legislative pressure, including the STOP HATE Act, and a potential TikTok ban by September 17, 2025, Mindel’s role underscores the platform’s effort to balance safety and free expression.