Social media giant Meta is facing scrutiny after research by the BBC revealed that Facebook had significantly restricted the reach of Palestinian news outlets during the Israel-Gaza conflict.
A comprehensive analysis conducted by BBC News Arabic found a steep 77% drop in audience engagement for prominent Palestinian news pages in Gaza and the West Bank after the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In contrast, engagement with Israeli news outlets on Facebook increased by 37% during the same period.
Tariq Ziad, a journalist at Palestine TV, expressed frustration over the decline, saying, “Interaction was completely restricted, and our posts stopped reaching people.”
The newsroom, which boasts 5.8 million followers, reported a 60% decrease in the visibility of its content, according to BBC.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has denied allegations of deliberate suppression. “We acknowledge we make mistakes, but any implication that we deliberately suppress a particular voice is unequivocally false,” a Meta spokesperson said.
The company cited “temporary product and policy measures” implemented in October 2023 to address the dissemination of content related to the war, balancing free speech with the designation of Hamas as a dangerous organization under its policies.
Leaked documents obtained by the BBC revealed changes to Instagram’s algorithm that intensified moderation of Palestinian users’ comments.
A former Meta employee claimed, “Within a week of the Hamas attack, the code was changed essentially making it more aggressive towards Palestinian people.”
Internal messages showed engineers raising concerns about potential biases introduced by the changes.
Despite Meta’s claims that the measures were reversed, the timing remains unclear. Palestinian journalists argue that shadow banning and content moderation have hindered their ability to report on atrocities in Gaza.
“A lot of information can’t be published as it is too graphic,” said Omar el Qataa, a photojournalist in northern Gaza. “But in spite of the challenges, the risks, and the content bans, we must continue sharing Palestinian content.”
The BBC’s findings also highlighted disparities in audience engagement for Arabic-language news outlets. While Palestinian news pages saw significant declines, non-Palestinian Arabic outlets like Al-Jazeera experienced a 100% increase in engagement during the conflict.
Meta has faced previous criticism from human rights groups for inadequate moderation of Arabic content. A 2021 independent report attributed issues to a lack of Arabic-speaking moderators, resulting in innocuous phrases being misinterpreted as violent.
As the conflict continues, the toll on journalists remains devastating. At least 137 Palestinian journalists have been reported killed in Gaza since October 2023, with survivors facing mounting challenges in amplifying voices from the region.
