Zoombombing of Jewish institutions is being coordinated by racists, according to report

It has been reported that users of a racist online platform formerly known as 8chan may be coordinating so-called ‘Zoombombing’ of Jewish institutions.

So far, it is understood that a school in the United States may have been targeted in this way. A synagogue in the UK was also targeted last week, although it is not clear yet whether the two incidents, and others that have been reported over the past fortnight, are connected.

The phenomenon of ‘Zoombombing’, whereby Zoom video conferences are infiltrated by uninvited attendees who post antisemitic and pornographic images, is a growing phenomenon, particularly during the COVID-19 global pandemic, when communal, charitable and commercial institutions are communicating through such online platforms while personnel are secluded at home.

Several months ago it was reported that users of the racist platform 4chan were engaged in a coordinated campaign to create fake social media accounts impersonating Jews in order to promote antisemitic conspiracy theories.

There are resources online that may assist with how to avoid Zoombombing, and Campaign Against Antisemitism urges users of Zoom and other platforms to be vigilant and take precautions, and to report antisemitic infiltrations to the police.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is able to assist victims and can be contacted at [email protected].