Nadine Osman
Facebook has significantly restricted the ability of Palestinian news outlets to reach their audience during Israel’s siege on Gaza, effectively “shadow-banning” them, according to BBC research published on December 18, 2024. An analysis of Facebook data revealed a sharp decline in audience engagement for Palestinian newsrooms in Gaza and the West Bank since October 2023.
The research showed that news outlets such as Palestine TV, the Wafa news agency, and Palestinian Wattan News, which served as vital sources of information during the conflict, experienced a 77% drop in engagement after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Journalists reported a significant reduction in the reach of their posts. Palestine TV alone saw a 60% decrease in the visibility of its content. In contrast, Israeli news organizations, including Yediot Ahronot and Channel 13, reported a nearly 37% increase in engagement during the same period.
Palestinian journalists raised concerns about the apparent “shadow-banning” of their content on Facebook. Meta, the company that owns Facebook, responded by stating it had introduced “temporary product and policy measures” in October 2023. These measures aimed to manage a surge in hate speech, particularly in response to Hamas’ actions. Meta denied intentionally suppressing Palestinian voices, calling such claims “unequivocally false.” It explained that its actions sought to balance free expression with its policies on sanctioned groups like Hamas.
The BBC also obtained leaked internal documents indicating that Instagram, another Meta platform, increased moderation of Palestinian user comments after the October attacks. Meta acknowledged this change and attributed it to a “spike in hateful content.” The company stated that it later reversed the policy but did not specify the exact timing.
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