Hillary Clinton has claimed that social media shaped young Americans’ views on the Gaza war and accused platforms such as TikTok of spreading misinformation that has driven support for the Palestinian cause.
Speaking at a summit in New York organised by Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, the former US secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said digital platforms had become the primary source of information for many young people, but provided little fact-checking or context.
“Smart, well-educated young people from our own country, from around the world, where were they getting their information?” Ms Clinton said at the event on Tuesday. “They were getting their information from social media, particularly TikTok.”
She claimed some of the most widely shared videos depicting violence in Gaza were “totally made up”, arguing that manipulated or decontextualised content had distorted public understanding of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and Israel’s military response.
Ms Clinton added it was difficult to have conversations with young people about the conflict because "what they were being told on social media was not just one-sided, it was pure propaganda".
Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok were flooded with images, many of them published almost in real time, of civilian deaths, particularly children, in Gaza during the war.
“That is where they were learning about what happened on October 7, what happened in the days, weeks and months to follow,” Ms Clinton said. “It’s a serious problem for democracy, whether it’s Israel or the United States, and it’s a serious problem for our young people.”
Ms Clinton also warned that Israel is facing an unprecedented public relations challenge with younger Americans.
“Israel has the worst PR of any group I have ever known,” she said. “The story that needed to be told is not being told effectively, and I think it is only getting worse.”
Support for Israel among Americans plummeted during the war. A Gallup poll in March found about 46 per cent of Americans expressed support for Israel, a six percentage point drop from last year and the lowest in 25 years of polling by the company.
At the same time, 33 per cent of adults said they sympathise with Palestinians, up six percentage points from last year, and the highest reading by two points.
Expanding on the power of social media, Ms Clinton pointed to New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani - who has called Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide - and described him as “a brilliant social media candidate”.
“He drew from across the city, and young people were the drivers, young people from every background, every ethnicity, every religion, who related to him and really admired the way he presented himself," she said.
“The social media campaign was so effective, and I think that is a very strong case as to why people need to pay attention to how you get information, particularly young people."
She added that his campaign should be studied, as it was "extremely effective in conveying an image and a message that young people were drawn to".
