Watchdog group: Social media platforms continue crackdown on Palestinian content
Ramallah (QNN)- Social media websites have continued their crackdown on the Palestinian content, disregarding all professional and human rights standards and ethics concerning the question of the Palestinian people who continue to live under occupation, said Palestinian watchdog group on Monday.
Sada Social Center, which monitors social media violations of the Palestinian content, documented more than 17 violations against Palestinian content on social media in August, most of them in Facebook, which presents itself as a safe and free space of personal opinions and beliefs.
For instance, the center said, Facebook committed 15 violations ranging from ban, removal, publication and deletion of publications. Restrictions were further imposed on the following Palestinian pages: Aneen Al-Qaidi, The Higher National Commission of the Great March of Return, Ramallah Mix, Jerusalem Committee – Yarmouk University, Qalandia Media Center, Palestine Media Center and Artist Qassem Al Najjar.
On the other hand, Instagram removed a number of publications posted by the Palestine Liberation Radio.
Meanwhile, YouTube deleted a video featuring the will of Palestinian martyr Raed Misk from the account of his son, Momen Misk.
As part of Sada Social Center’s ongoing efforts to protect and defend the Palestinian content, the center has managed to restore five Palestinian pages that were deleted by Facebook: Jenin Mix, Beit Fajjar Times, Beit Furik Times, Yatta Times, and Lovers of Tell Village.
In the meantime, Facebook has admitted to violating the privacy of its users by listening to all voice conversations through its Messenger application, and that it has hired hundreds of contractors to listen to the audio clips exchanged by users.
Facebook also announced its intention to use artificial intelligence algorithms in its WhatsApp application, through which it will search the content of messages before encrypting and sending them.
“This paves the way for governments to force social media companies to spy on their users’ messages,” the center said in a press release.
Sada Social Center said it is continuing its efforts to “continuously communicate with the administrations of social media sites in an attempt to protect the Palestinian digital content and access a fair and equitable mechanism towards Palestinian users.”
Launched in early September 2017, SCC is a volunteering center concerned with initiatives to enrich Palestinian content on the internet, especially on social networking websites, and monitor the violations against this content from different parties.
