Bot fears over hate wave

A wave of Holocaust denial and antisemitic abuse on social media that followed the announcement of new school lessons on the Holocaust may be a foreign information warfare attack, an online hate expert has warned.

Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI) chief executive Dr Andre Oboler said the comments came from accounts that were “locked and typically have under 50 friends, some only have single digit friends”.

“My analysis is that Australia is under an information warfare attack. Likely from Iran,” he wrote on Facebook.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare announced the changes last week after state and federal education ministers endorsed them.

Drawn up by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), they add lessons on Australia’s Jewish history and the Holocaust from 2027.