X suspends pro-Palestinian activists for 'violating platform rules'
5 Min Read
The users in question were suspended for violating X rules, but no exact answer was given as to what rules were violated.
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Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk pauses during an in-conversation event with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London, Thursday, November 2, 2023. (AP)
On Tuesday, social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, suspended several pro-Palestinian and left-leaning accounts and journalists calling for the end of the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
The users had been suspended for violating X's rules, although said rules were not mentioned or expanded on. X later restored the accounts but is yet to clarify the terms under which suspension was viable.
What's the common factor?
Alan MacLeod, senior staff writer for Mint Press News and major pro-Palestinian activist, took to Instagram to share his X account's suspension.
“Today, without warning or explanation, Twitter suspended my account, @AlanRMacLeod. They told me to check my email for a reason, but no email has been forthcoming,” he wrote, adding “I have never even remotely been involved in any controversy/been reported/been stuck in Twitter jail before, so I assume the real reason is political, especially as high-profile leftists accounts like Rob Rousseau and Zei_Squirrel were also targeted today.”
Both accounts mentioned in Alan's statement have a substantial number of followers and use their platforms for political critique and education on Western imperialism.
Zei_Squirrel shared a statement on a different platform, saying “Elon Musk’s Twitter just banned me, without giving any reason. I didn’t get any post that was flagged, no infraction, no warning, nothing. So, I suspect it is because I have been exposing the propaganda of the genocidal Israeli regime and its supporters, including recently Bill Ackman.”
The account of the Texas Observer’s Special Investigative Correspondent, Steven Monacelli, was also suspended in X's campaign. “I haven’t received any communications from Twitter/X about why I have been suspended. I have made posts critical of Israel’s targeting of civilians and journalists, and have shared news about pro-Palestinian protests, but I have also recently made posts and shared news debunking antisemitism disguised as criticism of Israel,” Monacelli said on the matter.
Refusal of Israeli crimes in Gaza
The common factor between all these accounts is the outright refusal of the occupation's war tactics in Gaza, which are tantamount to genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Analyzing the matter, World Socialist Web said that it is suspicious how left-leaning social media activists have been suspended by a platform owned by Elon Musk who has not shied away from sharing "fascistic rantings".
However, there are no clear indications that show Musk's intentional and personal suspension of the pro-Palestinian lot.
Musk shared a statement saying “I will investigate. Obviously, it is ok to be critical of anything, but it is not ok to call for extreme violence, as that is illegal.” Musk then added, “For the record, I do not personally agree with your views. Nonetheless, the point of freedom of speech is allowing those whose views you disagree with to express those views.”
Read more: X censors hundreds of accounts supporting Palestinian resistance
Media censorship
Similar precedents include Instagram censorship as well. On Christmas Eve, Instagram permanently terminated activist Shaun King's account, which was dedicated to exposing Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Instagram also employs media censorship by hiding posts under the pretense of promoting "violent speech".
For example, actress Susan Sarandon posted a picture of billboards saying: “Stop the Bombs! Workers Demand Peace and Justice for Palestine! Ceasefire Now!”, which was later flagged by Instagram for violating its code of conduct under "violent speech".
Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report earlier in December titled "Meta's Broken Promises: Systemic Censorship of Palestine Content on Instagram and Facebook," which reveals how moderation rules and algorithms have progressively repressed voices in support of Palestine on Instagram and Facebook and suppressed protected speech, including nonviolent communication in favor of Palestine and public discussion about Palestinian human rights.
HRW investigated 1,050 instances of online restriction from more than 60 nations where 6 patterns of censorship were identified, each happening at least 100 times.
The incidents are consistent with years of research and campaigning by Palestinian, regional, and international human rights organizations, showing Meta's filtering of Palestinian-supporting content.
These patterns include content removals, account suspension or deletion, inability to engage with content, inability to follow or tag accounts, restrictions on the use of features, such as Instagram/Facebook Live, and "shadow banning", which refers to a significant reduction in the visibility of an individual's posts, stories, or account without notification.
Also, Meta used its "Dangerous Organizations and Individuals" (DOI) policy in hundreds of documented incidents, which fully includes the United States-recognized lists of "terrorist organizations". Meta has invoked these lists and used them broadly to limit the legal expression of pro-Palestine voices.
