Alexandra SmithUpdated July 6, 2026 — 10:10am,first published July 6, 2026 — 8:52amWhat to expect from today’s hearingBy Alexandra SmithGood morning. I am Alex Smith and I will be taking you through today’s live coverage of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.This is hearing block three, which is focused on the role the media – both social and legacy – has on fuelling hate. Today we will hear from Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.Commissioner Virginia Bell will hear from social media companies at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.Janie BarrettThe first witness will be Meta’s Benjamin Good, the platform’s director of content policy, who will appear via video link from the US.Good’s Australian-based colleague Mia Garlick, from Facebook, will be the second witness.We will also hear from Kick Streaming, a website that has become one of the biggest names in livestreaming, where people broadcast themselves doing everything from gaming to riding bikes for hours at a time.CyberWell, a nonprofit that monitors and counters online antisemitism, will also appear.Latest Posts10.10amPlotting a terrorist attack different to antisemitic postBy Benjamin Good from Meta is now describing what the social media giant describes as “truly heinous” content which would come under its proactive approach to removing content.Such content would include planning a terrorism attack or child sexual abuse material, Good says.Counsel assisting Richard Lancaster asks Good: “A plainly antisemitic post published about an identified individual would be characterised in this analysis as a less severe policy violation by Meta. Is that right?”Good responds: “It would be as distinguished from child sexual abuse or plotting a terrorist attack. It would be treated differently. Yes, it would be subject to different enforcement.In that case, Good says, Meta would rely on users reporting the antisemitic comment rather than it being proactively removed.”9.46amA balance between removing hate and preventing over-enforcementBy Meta’s head of policy Benjamin Good has started his evidence before the commission with an explanation of how the social media platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram and Threads, enforce their policies, including hateful conduct.Good says given there are three billion users across the platforms, it is “very, very complex system” to moderate, which includes teams around the world of humans as well as sophisticated artificial intelligence tools.Benjamin Good.Royal CommissionHe says proactive enforcement is “the gold standard” in ensuring that violating content is removed before it is viewed by anyone. However, Good warns that there is a risk of over-enforcement.“For instance, we’ve heard from Jewish communities and others in times of crisis that they’ve had content removed when they were actually trying to speak out against atrocities, or, for instance, condemn a terrorist group like Hamas,” Good says.8.44amWhat we learnt last week about social media and hateBy A Bondi massacre victim who was shot in the head and a Jewish federal Labor MP were two witnesses who told the commission last week about how much hatred they receive via social media.Last week was the start of the hearing block that is probing the role social media has in fuelling antisemitism, with Jewish Australians detailing the attacks they have faced online.We also heard that Elon Musk’s X platform fought to keep gruesome content relating to the Bondi massacre online, arguing it was no more graphic than a “gore movie”.Arsen Ostrovsky and wife Tzeira after his evidence to the royal commission.Kate GeraghtyJosh Burns, who is the federal member for Macnamara, told the commission that he had no faith in social media platforms taking action to stop hate against Jews. He detailed antisemitic attacks levelled at him, his staff and his partner, Victorian MP Georgie Purcell.Bondi massacre survivor Arsen Ostrovsky also told the commission he had been called a crisis actor and an agent of Israel. His phone lit up with online attacks as he was in hospital being prepped for surgery.Royal commissioner Virginia Bell highlighted one comment made on Facebook about special envoy to combat antisemitism Jillian Segal (“cockroach, needs to be sprayed”) noting that remark could be considered violent.Pinned post from 8.33amWhat to expect from today’s hearingBy Alexandra SmithGood morning. I am Alex Smith and I will be taking you through today’s live coverage of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.This is hearing block three, which is focused on the role the media – both social and legacy – has on fuelling hate. Today we will hear from Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.Commissioner Virginia Bell will hear from social media companies at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.Janie BarrettThe first witness will be Meta’s Benjamin Good, the platform’s director of content policy, who will appear via video link from the US.Good’s Australian-based colleague Mia Garlick, from Facebook, will be the second witness.We will also hear from Kick Streaming, a website that has become one of the biggest names in livestreaming, where people broadcast themselves doing everything from gaming to riding bikes for hours at a time.CyberWell, a nonprofit that monitors and counters online antisemitism, will also appear.1 of 1