Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street

FB double standards: Israeli attacks censored, graphic others allowed

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 27 Aug 2022 15:15
  • 6 Shares
5 Min Read

Internal memos reveal that Meta thought attacks on civilians in Ukraine were "newsworthy", while Israeli attacks were censored, which led to accusations of double standards.

  • x
  • Palestinian social media users feel they have to self-censor in order to stay on major platforms. (Mohammed Asad/APA images)
    Palestinians believe they must practice self-censorship in order to remain on major platforms. (APA)

After the latest Israeli aggression earlier this month against the heavily populated Gaza Strip, Palestinian users of Facebook and Instagram complained about the sudden removal of posts revealing the ensuing death and destruction.

Palestinian users of the two sizable social media sites, which are both owned by the same parent firm, Meta, had previously complained about their posts being arbitrarily taken down.

It's becoming a pattern: Palestinians share sometimes graphic films and photographs of Israeli strikes, then Meta quickly removes the content, often with no explanation and only a passing mention of a breach of the company's "Community Standards".

However, not all of Meta platforms' billion-plus users encounter these problems when recording the bombing of their communities.

Read next: Selective humanity; who stood with Yemen?

The firm regularly ordered moderators to stray from standard practice and handle diverse graphic material from the Russia-Ukraine war with a light touch this year, according to previously unreported policy language obtained by The Intercept.

Like other American internet businesses, Meta swiftly implemented a slew of new policy carveouts in response to the military operation, especially allowing Ukrainians to continue posting graphic photographs of the war on Facebook and Instagram.

No such exceptions were ever granted for Palestinian victims of Israeli state brutality, and the sources don't indicate that any other suffering group was given a similar level of latitude.

Read next: How Facebook profits from war in Ukraine

“This is deliberate censorship of human rights documentation and the Palestinian narrative,” said Mona Shtaya, an advisor with 7amleh, the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, a civil society group that formally collaborates with Meta on speech issues.

Gaza deemed not "newsworthy"

Between August 5 and August 15, when "Israel" was attacking Gaza, 7amleh counted approximately 90 deletions of information pertaining to bombings. It should be noted that reports of blocked content are still coming in.

"Their censorship works almost like clockwork – whenever violence on the ground escalates, their takedown of Palestinian content soars," said Marwa Fatafta, Middle East North Africa policy manager for Access Now, an international digital rights organization.

Related News

Meta sued in Ghana over extreme content's toll on moderators

Meta faces scrutiny after ending fact-checking on Facebook

Read more: Meta extends rules allowing Ukrainian calls for violence until April 30

Examples of Palestinian content that has been censored that The Intercept has looked at include the removal on August 5 of a post lamenting the passing of Alaa Qadoum, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by an Israeli missile strike, as well as an Instagram video of Gazans recovering bodies from the rubble. 

Meet Alaa Qadoum, a 5-year-old brutally killed today by the Israeli occupation's shelling of the #Gaza Strip. Meet Alaa, a girl yet to make it out of kindergarten. Meet Alaa, a victim out of thousands of #Palestinian children murdered by the Israeli occupation.#GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/PyDHHgAfgH

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 5, 2022

Both posts were deleted along with a notice stating that the imagery "goes against our guidelines on violence or dangerous organizations" — a reference to Meta's corporate policy against posting any content that promotes violence or information about its extensive list of prohibited individuals and organizations.

According to the Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy, these two posts were taken down, Meta representative Erica Sackin told The Intercept. She was alluding to the organization's filtering of material that supported nationally sanctioned "terrorist groups".

Sackin did not respond to a follow-up question addressing the image of a man and a 5-year-old girl buried in debris's "promotion of terrorism."

Palestinian advocates speak up 

Rights advocates told The Intercept that the exemptions made for the Russia-Ukraine war are the most recent instance of a double standard between Meta's treatment of Western markets and the rest of the world. This is proof of Meta's special treatment of the Ukrainian cause since the start of the war, as well as something that can be seen with media coverage of the war more generally.

Read next: We sanctioned Russia, why not "Israel"? Activists denounce double standards

Meta’s public-facing Community Standards rulebook says, “We remove content that glorifies violence or celebrates the suffering or humiliation of others because it may create an environment that discourages participation” — noting a vague exception for “graphic content (with some limitations) to help people raise awareness about these issues.” The Violent and Graphic Content policy places a blanket ban on gruesome videos of dead bodies and restricts the viewing of similar still images to adults 18 years and older.

The Knesset member sent a strong message criticizing the double standards of the #US and #Western countries who seem to turn a blind eye to the countless crimes committed by the occupation, whether against civilians or journalists. #Palestine #ShireenAbuAkleh pic.twitter.com/YF2Q0QxRtO

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 11, 2022

The discrepancy was brought up by critics who questioned why online communication concerning crimes against humanity and war crimes done against Europeans seemed to require special protections but not speech about injustices committed against other people.

“Meta should respect the right for people to speak out, whether in Ukraine or Palestine,” said Shakir, of Human Rights Watch. “By silencing many people arbitrarily and without explanation, Meta is replicating online some of the same power imbalances and rights abuses we see in the real world.”

The Israeli occupation has garnered the support of various A-listers and many renowned celebrities whose support propelled Israeli oppression against #Palestinians and other peoples in the region.#Palestine pic.twitter.com/dWVKEfasZD

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 9, 2022

Meta has intervened in posts on the Israeli-Palestinian issue to keep photos live by siding with the occupying Israeli military, even though it appears to be against enabling Palestinian civilians to maintain graphic content online.

In one instance, Meta took steps to ensure that a depiction of an attack against a member of the Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank was kept up: “An Israeli Border Police officer was struck and lightly wounded by a Molotov cocktail during clashes with Palestinians in Hebron (Al-Khalil),” an undated memo distributed to moderators reads. “We are making an exception for this particular content to Mark this video as Disturbing.”

#BBC reporter published today a “where to throw a Molotov cocktail” guide amid #Ukraine crisis.
Here's how #Twitter activists reacted. #Palestine #Russia pic.twitter.com/MDjdDuAqs2

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 5, 2022

  • Facebook
  • Palestine
  • Russia
  • Israeli occupation
  • Ukraine
  • Meta

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS