Berlin, January 24, 2024. In a quest to delve into Holocaust-related commemorative and educational endeavors on TikTok, the TikTok Shoah Commemoration & Education Initiative was launched in October 2021. The initiative sought to uncover TikTok's potential for Holocaust remembrance and education. Through a training seminar, concentration camp memorials and museums were equipped to employ Tik-Tok as an educational tool, generating impactful content that shapes Shoah remembrance in the TikTok medium. The outcome was the establishment of active accounts by several memorials and museums in Germany and Austria, unveiling them to the public on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in January 2022. 

The initiative resulted in the creation of a total of nine accounts, amassing a total of 335 videos created and uploaded by participating institutions by the end of December 2022. These videos garnered an impressive number of over 11 million views within that year and accumulated more than 800,000 likes. Furthermore, the memorial institutions managed to cultivate a dedicated following of over 50,000 individuals through their TikTok accounts, highlighting the profound impact of their efforts. 

This report explores Holocaust commemoration and education on TikTok, and evaluates the TikTok Shoah Commemoration & Education Initiative and related accounts and videos. It is intended for various stakeholders who have the capacity to take further actions to enhance Holocaust commemoration and education on TikTok. These actions include countering hate, distortion, and denial, establishing best practice models that can serve as inspiration for other users and creators, fostering dialogue and engagement, and empowering both institutional and individual users and creators. This is even more important following the Hamas assault on October 7 and its resonance in social media and especially on TikTok.