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1.

7amleh Issues a Position Paper on the European Union’s AI Act and its Implications for Palestinian Digital Rights (English)

7amleh

7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media issued a position paper on the European Union's AI Act and its impact on the digital rights of Palestinians. The paper examines the intricate relationship between the Palestinian-Israeli context and EU legislation, with a particular focus on the extraterritorial effects of these laws on Palestinian human rights. It precisely documents how this law conflicts with the fundamental human rights of Palestinians and highlights the dangers of employing AI in the Palestinian-Israeli context.

2.

Condemning Microsoft’s Unjust Blocking of Palestinian Skype and Email Accounts (English)

7amleh

The Palestinian Digital Rights Coalition and undersigned allies strongly condemn Microsoft's recent treatment of Palestinian customers. The company’s recent actions of blocking Palestinian users’ email and Skype accounts, an unjust disruption that has severe consequences on their daily lives during a time of war, is not only an affront to basic human decency but also a violation of their fundamental rights. Access to technology and communication is crucial, especially in conflict zones where information and connectivity can mean the difference between life and death. Furthermore, Microsoft accounts provide access to communication platforms, bank accounts, and job opportunities. By blocking its services, Microsoft is effectively cutting Palestinians off from social, professional, and financial opportunities during a time of immense suffering and devastation. Microsoft's decision to restrict its services to Palestinians at such a critical juncture is deeply troubling and cannot be justified.

3.

Big Tech terror: For Palestinians, AI apocalypse is already here (English)

The New Arab

Despite Silicon Valley and Big Tech's promise to create technologies that improve our lives and make the world a better place, we have seen a sharp turn toward investment in weaponised technologies, exacerbating violence and death, as big tech firms chase lucrative contracts within the military-industrial complex. This transition has been happening for quite some time now, but nowhere is it clearer than in the occupation of Palestine. For years, Palestine has been used as a “laboratory” by Israeli surveillance technology firms.

4.

Can Meta's AI-backed 'Zionists' hate speech policy implement without bias? (English)

The National

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, recently updated its hate speech guidelines to remove posts aimed at Zionists when the term is deemed to be used in a discriminatory manner against Jewish people and Israelis rather than solely referring to supporters of the political movement. This revision comes amid continuing public scrutiny, particularly on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X, as discussions about the Hamas attack on October 7 and Israel's subsequent war on the Gaza Strip continue into their tenth month.