7amleh's weekly update on Palestinian Digital Rights

7amleh: 70% of Palestinian Youth in Israel Practice Self-Censorship Online

an excerpt from 7amleh

The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media released a study entitled "Digital Security Among Palestinian Youth Citizens of Israel: A Study on Threats and Challenges in Light of the War on Gaza," authored by Dr. Saeed Abu Mualla, a writer and lecturer in journalism at the Arab American University. This study follows a previous one focused on digital security among Palestinian youth in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The new study sheds light on the digital security landscape among Arab Palestinian youth in Israel during the Israeli war on Gaza. The findings from the survey data analyzed in the study reveal that users experience fear and anxiety, leading to an avoidance of digital activism and participation.

Israel Is Buying Google Ads to Discredit the UN’s Top Gaza Aid Agency
an excerpt from Wired 

Back In mid-January, Mara Kronenfeld was googling the name of the nonprofit she runs, which raises money in the US on behalf of the leading humanitarian aid provider in Gaza. Atop the search results for her organization—UNRWA USA, partner to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)—she saw a surprising ad. It read like a promo from the UN agency, but the link directed to an Israeli government website. Kronenfeld says she had found the beginnings of a months-long online advertising campaign by Israel to discredit and defund UNRWA.

Binance Accused of Freezing Palestinian Crypto Assets
an excerpt from Crypto News

Accusations surfaced on August 26 alleging that Binance, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges globally, froze Palestinian users’ crypto assets at the behest of Israeli authorities.This claim, brought to light by Ray Youssef, the co-founder of Paxful and CEO of Noones P2P platform, sparked concerns about the autonomy of cryptocurrency exchanges and user privacy.The Accusation and the Israeli Anti-Terrorism LawYoussef, via X, stated that Binance “seized funds from all Palestinians” at the request of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 

Israel steps up its dehumanisation of Palestinians with new biometric checkpoints in the West Bank

an excerpt from Middle East Monitor 

Egyptian-American comedian and outspoken critic of Israel Bassem Youssef caused a social media storm after his account on X with almost 12 million followers was no longer accessible. This led to widespread speculation among users, media outlets and even the state-affiliated account of Israel, with many assuming that Elon Musk’s platform had banned him. Youssef later clarified on his Instagram account that he had voluntarily deactivated his X account due to safety concerns for his family. “When safety issues concerning my loved ones are alleviated, I might consider coming back. I wish to deal with this away from the media. I will still be posting my content on TikTok, Insta, and FB,” he explained.