Weeks after joining a pro-Palestinian protest, Layla Sayed, an Egyptian-American student, received a text from a friend alerting her to a website targeting individuals accused of promoting anti-Semitic and anti-"Israel" sentiments.

"I think they found you from the protest," the friend wrote.

Upon visiting the website Canary Mission, Sayed discovered a photo from the October 16 rally at the University of Pennsylvania, where red arrows singled her out among the demonstrators. The post featured her name, the two cities she resides in, information about her studies, and links to her social media profiles.

Later, Canary Mission posted a photo of her on its X and Instagram accounts as "Hamas War Crimes Apologist."

"No future for that c**t," one X user wrote. "Candidate for deportation to Gaza," wrote another.

She said she did not realize at the time that a chant Canary Mission took issue with, "When people are occupied, resistance is justified," is considered by some as an expression of support for Hamas. She joined in the chants, she said, to show support for demonstrations.

Responding to an inquiry submitted by Reuters, Canary Mission claimed it has been combating a "wave of antisemitism" on college campuses since October 7, including by exposing individuals who allegedly "endorse Hamas".

What is Canary Mission?

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Canary Mission, among the oldest and most prominent pro-"Israel" groups, has intensified campaigns to expose critics of "Israel" since the war began, often resulting in harassment like Sayed's. The site's operators have kept their identities, locations, and funding sources concealed.

The site has accused over 250 US students and academics of supporting "terrorism or spreading antisemitism and hatred of Israel" since the start of the Gaza war, as per a Reuters review of its posts. 

Reuters spoke with 17 students and one research fellow from six US universities listed on Canary Mission since Oct. 7. Among them are students who chanted slogans during protests, leaders of groups attributing blame on "Israel" for the genocide in Gaza, and individuals who argued on social media that Palestinian resistance is justified

Messages reviewed by Reuters called for their deportation or expulsion from school or suggested they should be "raped or killed".

Double standards of free speech in US

Canary Mission and its supporters contend that individuals who purportedly "promote hatred and bigotry" should be held accountable. On its website, Canary Mission lists academic and employer information for the individuals it profiles, urging its tens of thousands of followers to ensure that "today's radicals are not tomorrow's employees."

Ten of the students interviewed by Reuters feared that appearing on the site could derail their careers. Canary Mission is often at the top of its targets' Google search results, and its social media posts can draw hundreds of comments.

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Targeted individuals have limited options for seeking redress, according to lawyers and advocacy groups. Much of what Canary Mission publishes is protected by the First Amendment's free speech rights, as indicated by three lawyers speaking to Reuters.

Canary Mission states on its website that it will remove profiles of individuals who "acknowledge their past mistakes" and denounce what it labels as "underlying anti-Semitism" in organizations advocating for boycotts against "Israel" due to its policies in the Palestinian territories.

It is worth highlighting that while the Canary Mission is "legally protected" by the First Amendment, the website's doxing of the students' private information puts them at risk of physical harm and harassment. Pro-Palestinian protesters are being accused of anti-semitism for practicing their right to free speech against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of over 35,000 Palestinian civilians.