DaysofPal- A BBC investigation revealed that Facebook had restricted several Palestinian news pages, obstructing their access to audiences and preventing them from delivering their message amidst the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip for over 14 months.
The investigation analyzed interaction data from the Facebook pages of 20 prominent Palestinian news organizations, comparing it with data from the year before the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.
The results revealed a significant decline in audience engagement.
The investigation revealed a 77% decrease in audience interaction on Palestinian news pages on Facebook compared to pre-war levels, despite expectations of increased engagement during times of conflict.
The BBC reported that throughout more than a year of genocide, Palestinian journalists have experienced “shadow-banning” on social media platforms, a practice by Meta that restricts the visibility of their content to a limited audience.
In addition to the findings mentioned in the investigation, the systematic digital campaign against Palestinian content—particularly media and news—has also targeted “Sanad News Agency.”
The agency’s page has faced repeated content restrictions and bans since the onset of the genocide.
“Facebook” Is not the Only Platform
In addition to “Facebook,” the “Instagram” platform, also owned by “Meta,” has intensified its censorship of Palestinian users’ comments following October 7, according to leaked documents reviewed by the BBC.
The investigation included testimonies from five “Instagram” employees regarding changes made to the platform’s algorithm. These changes increased oversight and censorship of Palestinian comments on posts shared via “Instagram.”
One employee, who remained anonymous, revealed that within a week of October 7, 2023, “the algorithm was modified to adopt a more aggressive stance toward Palestinian content.”
In contrast, Meta, the parent company of Instagram, admitted to implementing these new software measures but justified them as “necessary” to address what it described as “a surge in hateful content” originating from the Palestinian territories.
It added that the changes made to the digital platforms’ policies since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip have now been reversed, although it did not specify when this occurred.
However, doubts have been raised about the veracity of these claims, given the ongoing escalation of digital violations against Palestinian and media content.
Palestinian statistical data released on Tuesday showed an increase in digital Israeli incitement against Palestinians in November 2024.
The data documented 84 instances of content that included hate speech, explicit calls for ethnic cleansing, and encouragement of settlement activities.
Earlier, the “Sada Social” Center published a report highlighting the escalation in digital violations in Palestine during November 2024, documenting over 500 violations across various electronic platforms.
A previous report by Sada Social on Palestinian digital content revealed that 23,000 violations against Palestinian content were recorded on social media networks during the ongoing war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023.
Since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Israeli digital incitement and the spread of hate speech against Palestine have escalated, highlighting the digital war waged by the Israeli occupation alongside the ongoing Israeli genocide.
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