Complaint Letter to Adobe - Antisemitic Cartoon Listed on Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock, a stock photo service offered by Adobe, is selling a cartoon depicting the antisemitic trope of the “greedy Jew” as an octopus. This imagery was used in anti-Jewish propaganda in Nazi Germany and is still used today to refer to the antisemitic canard of Jewish control. The Media Diversity Institute (MDI) has contacted Adobe to ask to stop selling this harmful image, but the computer software company has not responded to our concerns. Here is the message that MDI has sent them.
Dear Adobe Stock,
We are writing to you from the Media Diversity Institute to draw your attention to an antisemitic cartoon currently on sale on your website under the category “Breaking the Law and Illegal Activity.”
Screenshot from Adobe Stock
The image, titled “corrupt power political cartoon” (FILE #: 121027195) and designed by the artist nuvolanevicata, depicts a wealthy businessman with tentacles controlling sectors such as politics, agriculture, justice, media.
While some might be unaware, the image of the Jew as malevolent octopus controlling key aspects of the world’s political economy, is a recurring antisemitic trope. Representing the antisemitic canard of Jewish control, the octopus was used in anti-Jewish propaganda in Nazi Germany. In Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler compares “bloodthirsty and avaricious Jewish tyrants” to an octopus.
Today, the octopus trope continues circulating to represent (Jewish) control and domination over the globe. While the reference to Jews is not always present, it is an antisemitic dog-whistles for members of the far-right, who use this coded image to circulate anti-Jewish hatred. Even when it is not intentional, using the image of the octopus with tentacles encircling the globe or clutching key world sectors repeats and feeds antisemitism.
The cartoon currently on sale on your website has been used to extensively promote conspiracy narratives in online and print media outlets. For example, the anti-vax newspaper 'The Light', which regularly features antisemitic artwork and conspiracy narratives, used the cartoon to illustrate the article “ESG – socialism disguised as free-market capitalism.”
We are concerned that the spread of this image will continue to promote antisemitic tropes and anti-Jewish hatred. Whilst we encourage freedom of expression and support individual rights to discuss political and social issues, we are also aware of the harms that antisemitic imagery continues doing to the Jewish community.
By offering this image to your customers, Adobe Stock is contributing to the dissemination of conspiracy narratives that can incite violence and hate speech towards Jews. We believe that Adobe does not want to associate its brand with the promotion of antisemitic tropes.
We suggest that Stock Adobe removes FILE #: 121027195 from the list of available images. We also recommend that Stock Adobe thoroughly vets the material received before including it on its website, to make sure that prejudices and conspiracy narratives are not advanced through the images on sale.
The Media Diversity institute works internationally to encourage inclusive and sensitive media coverage and promote diversity. We have been at the frontline of the fight against discrimination in new and traditional media. We lead Get the Trolls Out!, a European project aiming to counter anti-religious discrimination in the media.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss any of the issues we have raised in this letter.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Sincerely,
Get The Trolls Out! Team
Media Diversity Institute
