BBC News - How Meta restricted news in Palestinian territories | BBC News
The video discusses the suppression of Palestinian news content on social media platforms, particularly Facebook, during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. An analysis of over 100,000 Facebook posts from Palestinian news organizations showed a significant drop in engagement following the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. This decline is attributed to potential shadow banning, where content visibility is reduced without explicit notification. Meta, Facebook's parent company, denies deliberate suppression but admits to moderation challenges and temporary measures to balance safety and free speech. The analysis also revealed that while Palestinian content engagement dropped, similar content from Israeli sources saw increased engagement, suggesting a possible bias in moderation practices. Internal documents and employee testimonies indicate algorithm changes that disproportionately affected Palestinian users, raising concerns about systemic bias and the impact on public perception.
Key Points:
- Palestinian news content on Facebook saw a 77% drop in engagement post-October 7th, suggesting possible suppression.
- Meta denies deliberate suppression but acknowledges moderation challenges and temporary measures during conflicts.
- Internal documents reveal algorithm changes that disproportionately affected Palestinian users, raising bias concerns.
- Engagement for Israeli news content increased, highlighting potential moderation bias against Palestinian content.
- Meta has faced ongoing accusations of bias against Palestinian users, with reports highlighting negative impacts on their rights.