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Palestinian Digital Rights Study Group: Big Tech and Genocide

An excerpt from 7amleh

Join us for the latest edition of the Palestinian Digital Rights Study Group in partnership with the Institute for Middle East Understanding on Oct. 2nd, 1:00pm New York Time/8:00pm Palestine Time, to discuss 7amleh’s latest report, which provides an analysis of Big Tech’s complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Throughout the continuing war on Gaza, we have observed how various new technologies are employed by the Israeli army, including “efficient” targeting systems, semi-autonomous drones, and expansive facial-recognition systems, consequently furthering the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Similarly, we see how various big tech companies have played a role in exacerbating digital rights violations at a time when egregious violations of international humanitarian law and fundamental human rights were already taking place.

Internet goes down in parts of south, central Gaza

An excerpt from The New Arab

The internet was cut off in areas of southern and central Gaza, Palestinian telecommunications company Paltel said on Sunday evening. "We regret to announce the halting of internet services in areas of Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah because of the [Israeli] aggression," Paltel said. "We are working hard to restore services as quickly as possible." It is the second outage this month, after communications were interrupted on 8 September amid Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip. During the war, communications and the internet network have been halted more than 12 times, sometimes affecting all of Gaza and at others specific parts of the enclave.

Big Tech's complicity in genocide: The unforgivable silence of online platforms

An excerpt from Middle East Monitor

A damning report, “Palestinian Digital Rights, Genocide, and Big Tech Accountability”, by 7amleh, a Palestinian-led non-profit organisation that is focused on protecting the human rights of Palestinians, has laid bare the disturbing and active role that major online platforms and big tech companies play in perpetuating human rights abuses against Palestinians. While the world watches the horrors unfold in Gaza, the role of these digital accomplices cannot be ignored. The report highlights that platforms like Meta, X, YouTube and tech giants Google and Amazon have enabled, facilitated and even profited from these atrocities, effectively shielding war crimes under a digital smokescreen.

Meta employee group reveals ex-Netanyahu staffer pushed to ban pro-Palestine account

An excerpt from Daily Dot

In an Instagram post earlier this month, a group of Meta employees said that Jordana Cutler, Meta’s current Head of Policy for Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, pushed for a prominent pro-Palestine Instagram account to be banned. The post highlighted Cutler’s previous work for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S. Embassy of Israel, claiming she is not a neutral party. The banned account in question, Columbia University Students for Justice In Palestine (CUSJP) previously had their account locked for supporting “dangerous people.” Its removal came alongside bans for other pro-Palestine college and youth activist groups.