Amid escalating tensions, major social media platforms have been actively practising the censorship of the content from their point of view.
In recent days, Meta enforced strict measures, removing over 795,000 pieces in Hebrew and Arabic. Instagram hashtags were restricted, and live features on Facebook and Instagram were limited. Covert influence operations linked to Hamas were also dismantled.
In contrast, Telegram resisted Israeli requests to remove Palestinian channels, citing free expression. TikTok removed over 500,000 videos and 8,000 live streams, clarifying the impartiality of its content takedowns across Palestinian and Israeli communities. As platforms navigate complex content moderation challenges, the delicate balance between free expression and responsible online conduct remains a focal point of discussion.
Meta
- In the three days following October 7, more than 795,000 pieces were removed or marked as disturbing content for violating these policies in Hebrew and Arabic.
- Technology used to avoid recommending potentially violating and borderline content across Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
- Restricted a number of Instagram hashtags after Meta assessed that content associated with those hashtags was consistently found to be violating Meta’s Community Guidelines.
- Restrictions on Facebook and Instagram Live.
- Detected and taken down a cluster of activity linked to a covert influence operation was removed and attributed to Hamas in 2021. — Meta’s official statement
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- Community Notes typically appear within minutes of content posting. Notes on photos and videos also appear whenever the media is reposted by other users for helping to combat potential misinformation.
- Removed newly created Hamas-affiliated accounts and is coordinating with industry peers.
- Actioned tens of thousands of posts for sharing graphic media, violent speech, and hateful conduct.
Telegram
- Telegram confirms that it has not responded to any request from Israel to remove Palestinian channels — A statement to me by a Telegram spokesperson.
TikTok
- Since October 7, over 500,000 videos have been removed and 8,000 livestreams were closed in the impacted region for violating our guidelines.
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