Meta policies under fire for stifling Palestinian voices

Meta’s alleged censorship of Palestinian content on Facebook and Instagram is having a “devastating” effect on Palestinians amid the ongoing raging attacks on Gaza by the Israeli forces, according to the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media.

A recent report by the organization, also called 7amleh, highlights testimonies from Palestinian influencers, journalists, and media outlets who have faced shadow-banning, account deletions, and declining engagement, especially since the escalation of Israel’s assault on Gaza in October 2023.

According to 7amleh, over 15 million Hebrew-language posts inciting against Palestinians have surfaced on social media platforms, yet Palestinian content continues to face disproportionate scrutiny.

Key voices such as Ask Jerusalem and Arabs48 have reported repeated suspensions and restricted reach.

The Middle East Eye reported that Dima Kabaha, editor at Arabs48, noted their Facebook page was deleted twice without warning, and their Instagram account faces severe restrictions.

Influencers like Adnan Barq and Ali Obeidat have seen drastic losses in reach and income due to repeated account suspensions. Barq noted a drop in average story views from 20-30k to just 3-7k post-conflict.

Meta defended its actions, stating they implement temporary measures during conflicts and acknowledging errors, but denied deliberate suppression of specific voices.

7amleh’s advocacy manager, Jalal Abukhater, argues these practices violate international standards of free expression and urges Meta to adopt fairer policies.

With international media blocked from Gaza, social media has become a critical lifeline for Palestinians to share information and call for aid. Yet, platforms like Palestine TV have suffered significant engagement drops, reportedly as high as 60%.