Debate is good? Will YadBYadUK debate?

We at Yap agree genuine debate is good. We agree users need to feel safe online. We agree hate speech is bad, which is why we have previously highlighted the anti-Muslim hate displayed  by YadBYadUK "staff".  *Please see sidebar for links to previous blogs*.

 Unfortunately, we see no sign of intelligent debate coming from YadBYadUK; we see only attempts to close off any questioning of the so-called organisation,  its structure, the qualifications and expertise of its "staff" to engage in anti-hate work (or even recognise genuine anti-Semitism and racism) and reporting.

We question its compliance with laws of data protection. There is no indication at all it has any legal expertise regardingto the laws surrounding hate crime or malicious communications. In reality, we see it as promoting hate, bullying other users, and making people feel unsafe online.

With "advisors" such as this, can it, it and should it, be taken seriously? We think not.

Yad claims it will be "taking statistics" which will be released "January 2013". We assume it means 2014.

We challenge the claimed co "founder" of YadBYadUK and registrant of its website,  Ambrosine Chetrit (Shitrit), to answer questions about the claimed "organisation", to be open, to explain if this is a charity, a not for profit, or simply a front for bullying and attempting to close down Twitter accounts of those with whom she disagrees.

We ask what external academic verification of these "statistics" it can demonstrate, what academic institutions with which it has been in dialogue?  Has it engaged in any type of dialogue with genuine, accepted reporting organisations such as @CST_UK and @TellMAMAUK regarding its methodology?

We ask what qualifies the "staff" of this "organisation" to believe it has the right to make "reports" and allegations of anti-Semitism and even racism, and what nationally (and internationally) accepted criteria it uses as its benchmark?

We believe the answer is none.

There is already a long standing organisation, the Community Security Trust, in existence, to report anti-Semitism.  It is open, accountable and trusted by the Jewish and wider community, including police,  to act in a fair and responsible manner, and judge what is genuine anti-Semitism and racism and what is not.

We suggest YadBYadUK is a worrying development in the reporting of hate crime, haters pretending to be anti-bullying and anti-hate in order to bully those with which it disagrees politically.

We make the suggestion it is a front for bigotry. We believe its purpose is to close down informed debate.

If it wishes to debate the issues raised here,  the comment box and our Twitter account are available.

We feel we may have a long wait.

The Curator.