Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner has issued a stark warning that social media companies are allowing antisemitic and racist content to flow unchecked on their platforms, contributing to a toxic online environment at a time of heightened tension following a deadly terror attack in Sydney.

Giridharan Sivaraman, speaking on Thursday, said that platforms appear reluctant to intervene effectively against hate speech because such content can be profitable, and he highlighted the removal of fact-checking resources as a factor that facilitates the spread of misinformation and inflammatory narratives.

Sivaraman’s remarks came in the aftermath of a massacre at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach that left fifteen people dead and many more injured, an incident officials have described as motivated by antisemitism.

The commissioner said that while no single measure can prevent such atrocities, stronger regulation of online hate and adoption of a comprehensive national anti-racism framework could have mitigated conditions that allow hateful rhetoric to flourish.

He lamented that the Australian Human Rights Commission’s national anti-racism framework — which outlines a roadmap of reforms including legal protections against online hate and the establishment of a dedicated racism taskforce — has not yet been adopted or funded by the government.

Highlighting specific threats circulating online, Sivaraman noted calls for racially motivated gatherings and a resurgence of dangerous rhetoric reminiscent of past communal unrest.

He underscored the urgency of adopting coordinated measures before tensions escalate further, particularly around key public events and dates in the national calendar.

The commissioner also emphasised that antisemitism is one element of a broader pattern of racial hate affecting multiple communities, and that comprehensive action is needed to safeguard social cohesion.

While acknowledging that some efforts have been made to address antisemitism, Sivaraman reiterated the need for a “whole-of-society” approach that brings together government, civil society, and technology companies to tackle the issue at its roots.

He said that without decisive steps to curb online hate and misinformation, the platforms that connect people worldwide risk becoming vectors for division and violence.