In the first half of 2024, and amidst the ongoing war on Gaza and the severe circumstances faced by Palestinians, 7amleh has continued to raise awareness and build the capacity of Palestinian civil society, activists, journalists, and human rights organizations in digital security through various training and capacity-building initiatives. These challenging conditions have further amplified the scale of our work, empowering over 4 thousand individuals. Despite the adversity, 7amleh successfully launched the 7th edition of the Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF 2024) virtually, attracting over 1,200 attendees from around the world. 7amleh’s media presence has also surged, with more than 173 mentions in local and international publications. On social media platforms, we engaged with more than 4 million individuals. Our platform, 7or – the Palestinian Digital Rights Observatory, that was established to monitor, document, and appeal for digital rights violations, has recorded 1,640 instances of digital rights violations and censorship, successfully securing and restoring accounts or pages, and removing violent content in 436 cases. In our advocacy efforts, 7amleh has consistently pursued a safe, fair, and free digital space for all, bringing the issue of Palestinian digital rights and human rights to the forefront of public discussion.
Hebrew Harmful content detected using the Violence Indicator
Arabic Harmful content detected using the Violence Indicator
Video views on social media
Interaction on Social Media
Participants in various trainings
Palestinian Digital Activism Forum Attendees
Violent content reported to 7or
Violent content removed
Censorship cases reported to 7or
Secured and restored accounts
Organizational Assessments and Trainings
Publications
Campaigns
7or - the Palestinian Digital Rights Observatory has continued to document and analyze digital rights violations of Palestinians. Throughout the first half of 2024, 7or documented a total of 1640 instances of digital rights violations and censorship, and has committed its resources to successfully securing and restoring accounts or pages, and removing violent content in 436 cases, while 898 cases are still pending. 7amleh maintains a robust reporting framework, which includes weekly and monthly updates, along with comprehensive quarterly and annual reports. These reports serve as a reliable source of detailed information of ongoing and increasing digital rights violations.
In addition to these regular updates, 7amleh published several significant annual reports in the first half of 2024. The “Hashtag Palestine 2023: Palestinian Digital Rights During War'' report, which documented a total of 4400 digital rights violations throughout the year 2023, with 69% of these occurring after the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Another key report, “Racism and Incitement Index 2023” shed light on the proliferation of hate speech and incitement to violence directed at Palestinian people and advocates for Palestinian rights on online platforms. The report documented 10 million instances of violent content throughout 2023.
In February, 7amleh published its position paper “Impacts of AI Technologies on Palestinian Lives and Narratives” shedding light on the alarming lack of oversight and regulatory frameworks surrounding AI deployment, emphasizing the dire consequences for Palestinians and Palestinian human rights advocates.
In March, 7amleh published a position paper titled “The Impact of X Platform’s Content Moderation Policies on Palestinian Digital Rights” The paper offers a comprehensive overview of the platform's role in shaping online discourse and its implications for Palestinian digital rights, and provides critical analysis backed by empirical data provided through 7or - the Palestinian Observatory of Digital Rights Violations offering insights into the platform's effectiveness in combating harmful content and fostering a healthy online environment. Through 7or - the Palestinian Observatory of Digital Rights Violations, 7amleh manually documented over 1203 instances of such speech against Palestinians predominantly on X, in addition to other social media platforms. Furthermore, 4.7 Million cases of Harmful content in Hebrew were detected using the Violence-Indicator between January and June 2024.
In response to the European Union’s Digital Services Act 7amleh published a new study titled “Palestinian Digital Rights and the Extraterritorial Impact of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA)” The study investigates the intricacies in the Israel/Palestine context and European Union (EU) legislations, particularly the Digital Services Act (DSA). It examines the negative and positive impacts of the DSA notably regarding contexts of conflict and crisis, particularly after the start of the war on Gaza, whereby the DSA extends its influence globally and affects platforms' operations beyond EU borders. The study addresses discrimination and censorship concerns, as well as the violation of other rights, within the EU, affecting both Palestinians and global advocates for Palestinian human rights.
Between October 2023 and February 2024, 7amleh responded to the urgent needs of Palestinian activists, human rights defenders, and civil society by publishing a series of guides focused on best advocacy practices, privacy protection, and digital security during crises. These guides aim to safeguard Palestinian digital rights and promote fair, secure, and free digital spaces for all. They offer practical advocacy tools, tactics, and protective measures for safe online engagement amidst the ongoing targeting of Palestinian content through disinformation campaigns, incitement to violence, and other digital rights violations.
In collaboration with a coalition of civil society organizations, 7amleh also contributed to the launch of the "Gaza Media Resources", an open-source library that provides resources for activists, human rights defenders, civil society groups, and open-source fact-checkers. These resources cover key topics such as digital security, fact-checking, documenting human rights violations during war, and photography tips, further strengthening the capacity of Palestinian groups to navigate the digital landscape effectively during crises.
7amleh has raised awareness about Palestinian digital rights on YouTube. In March 2024, the organization published a paper on YouTube’s impact on Palestinian digital rights during the war on Gaza, highlighting problematic ads used for propaganda, YouTube's policies and discriminatory practices, its compliance with international law, adherence to human rights due diligence, and its impact on Palestinian digital rights following the 7th of October.
7amleh issued a position paper titled "Unravelling PayPal's Bias: Position Paper on Discrimination Against Palestinians", which criticizes PayPal's discriminatory policies that prevent Palestinians from using its services. The paper argues that these practices violate the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and key international human rights treaties. It also evaluates the readiness of the Palestinian digital economy to engage in online payments, considering aspects such as infrastructure, skills, financial services, public platforms, and legal frameworks. In line with its commitment to advocate for Palestinian digital rights. 7amleh continues to promote the PayPal4Palestine petition, urging PayPal to provide its services in Palestine.
In January 2024, 7amleh successfully launched the "Know Your Digital Rights" campaign (in Arabic), which aimed to raise awareness about digital rights issues among the Palestinian community. Throughout the campaign period, engaging educational cards were regularly shared across 7amleh's social media channels, providing valuable information and insights into digital rights topics. Additionally, an impactful awareness-raising video was produced and published, further amplifying the campaign's messages.
Additionally, in late February 7amleh launched a new campaign aimed at enhancing the protection and awareness of digital rights for children and parents in Palestinian communities (in Arabic), particularly those at risk. The campaign included various social media cards and an educational video on the topic presented by a local figure.
Despite ongoing efforts, significant challenges remain in amplifying Palestinian voices within digital spaces. Campaigns like “Meta, Let Palestine Speak!!” highlight the urgent need for equitable content moderation practices on Meta’s platforms. Continued advocacy is essential to dismantle the systemic biases that silence Palestinian narratives and ensure that all users can express their opinions freely and safely.
Similarly, the discriminatory practices of PayPal severely limit Palestinian’s access to essential digital financial services, reflecting broader issues of inequality. While users in Israel and illegal settlements receive full access, Palestinians in the occupied territories are denied service, exacerbating economic disparities and stifling opportunities for entrepreneurship. The ongoing campaign, "PayPal: Stop Discriminating Against Palestinians", calls for urgent reform to ensure equal access to digital financial services for all, regardless of national or ethnic origin.
7amleh has actively engaged with international partners and organizations to advance digital rights and address critical issues. In collaboration with APC and IFEX 7amleh held the webinar “The Silencing Act: Journalism in Palestine” discussing how journalism is being silenced in Palestine. Following this event, 7amleh joined a coalition of 39 media freedom organizations in issuing a statement condemning the "collective official silence" of Media Freedom Coalition member states regarding the killings of journalists in Gaza. This joint statement highlights how such silence undermines global media freedom.
In May, 7amleh participated in NovAct's Seminar “Himaya” on the defense and protection of civic space against mass surveillance in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The seminar, which focuses on addressing global surveillance and digital repression, featured 7amleh’s Advocacy Manager, Jalal AbuKhater, who detailed the extensive surveillance technology used by Israeli authorities against Palestinians and its implications for human rights.
In addition, 7amleh attended an IFEX convening in Berlin. This event provided a platform to engage with international partners and organizations, allowing 7amleh to discuss the current state of Palestinian digital rights in Gaza. The convening also facilitated advocacy efforts leading to the release of an IFEX statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Furthermore, 7amleh launched a semi-regular webinar series, the “Palestinian Digital Rights Study Group”, through which the following webinars have been held: “What does US Congressional Efforts to Ban TikTok mean for Palestinian Digital Rights” on March 28, 2024 discussing the efforts to ban TikTok and their meaning; and “Discriminatory Policies on Social Media Platforms in Times of War” on April 18, 2024 discussing the role of media during the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
7amleh participated in the Fifth Edition Civil Society Roundtable Series event organized by CDT Europe (The Center for Democracy and Technology) in Brussels. This closed roundtable was dedicated to discussing the implementation and enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
7amleh’s EU Advocacy Officer led a session on EU-level advocacy and strategy, focusing on the Digital Services Act (DSA). The session explored how the DSA could be leveraged by civil society organizations and examined its potential negative impacts on Palestinian digital rights. This discussion was part of Privacy International’s convening held in June. The event also provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships with existing organizations and to collaborate with new partners on upcoming projects.
In May, 7amleh participated in the regional Bread & Net Conference on a panel titled “Addressing Content Moderation Bias Against Palestinian Discourse,” where discussions centered on the restrictions of pro-Palestine content on Meta and X, especially during the Israeli war on Gaza since October 2023.
In March, 7amleh’s Advocacy Manager, Jalal AbuKhater, delivered a guest lecture at the Open Society University Network on “Protecting Palestinian Digital Rights in Times of Crisis.” This lecture underscored the increasing recognition of the systematic violation of Palestinian digital rights and highlighted 7amleh’s role as the leading digital rights organization in Palestine.
Between February and May 2024, 7amleh actively engaged with Meta on critical issues of digital censorship affecting Palestinian content. On 11 February 2024, 7amleh led a coalition of 73 international organizations in issuing a statement demanding that Meta refrain from censoring criticism of Zionism on its platforms which was followed by the launch of the “Tell Meta: We Need to Talk About Genocide” campaign. This campaign, supported by 73 other organizations, mobilized 52,000+ signatures on Action Network advocating against Meta's censorship practices.
In the first half of 2024, 7amleh led the Palestinian Digital Rights Coalition (PDRC) in key initiatives, including bi-monthly meetings and sending letters to Meta, X, Telegram, and TikTok to address the proliferation of hate speech, dehumanization, and incitement to violence and genocide against Palestinians on their platforms - in light of the International Court of Justice’s South Africa vs. Israel case. The coalition also engaged in UN submissions and contributed to discussions on digital rights and genocide. Notably, key coalition members came together to publish a joint statement condemning the U.S. Congressional efforts to ban TikTok.
In the first half of 2024, 7amleh continued its extensive training programs and workshops centered on Digital Rights, Security, and Digital Advocacy. A total of 3784 participants, including university and school students directly benefited from the training/workshop.
7amleh organized impactful Training of Trainers (TOT) on advanced digital security in Jerusalem and Nazareth, which involved 84 technically proficient participants. The primary objective of the training was to develop and equip participants with the necessary skills to conduct digital security audits and assessments for civil society organizations, and to qualify them to provide digital security training for organizations and individuals.
From January to June, 7amleh conducted assessments of digital security and advocacy needs of 26 Palestinian organizations. Based on these assessments, the organizations were provided with specialized training and support tailored to each organization’s specific needs.
In late January 2024, 7amleh launched the “Digital Security” platform, an educational guidance platform designed in the Arabic language, to constitute a source of specialized educational and training guides in the field of digital security. The platform contains advanced and updated training materials and provides its users with detailed explanations through illustrated educational videos. The platform has so far had over 13,000 active users benefitting from it and its educational materials.
The Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF) 2024 was a landmark two-day event attended by over 1,200 participants from around the world. As the first digital rights forum in the Arab Region with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in times of war, PDAF featured 70 international expert speakers and collaborated with 51 partner organizations globally, achieving high reach and significant online interaction.
Despite being an online event held in times of war, participants engaged in critical active discussions and learning sessions in an open space, generating ideas and proposals to ensure that AI development aligns with human rights standards, guaranteeing a safe, fair, and free digital space for everyone.
The first day included diverse policy and dialogue sessions that illuminated the state of Palestinian digital rights in the era of AI, especially during the escalating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023. These sessions addressed various issues facing Palestinian digital rights, the multifaceted impacts of AI, and how AI can be leveraged for advocacy, community benefit, and social change.
The second day provided 14 capacity-building and awareness-raising workshops, each attracting nearly 60 participants. These workshops were exceptionally engaging, and underscored the relevance and impact of the event’s discussions and activities. The robust participation highlighted the importance of the topics covered and the need for continued focus on artificial intelligence’s revolutionary promises & discriminatory realities in the context of the Palestinian digital rights.
Recordings of the sessions are available through a public YouTube playlist to be accessed at any time from all over the world.
Throughout the first half of 2024, 7amleh was mentioned or cited in the news a total of 173 times in Arabic and English, including in renowned publications such as The Guardian, CBC, AlJazeera, APC, and The Intercept.
In an article by the Washington Post, Nadim Nashif, 7amleh’s co-founder and Executive Director, was cited in a piece on “Inside Meta, a debate over when the word ‘Zionist’ is hate speech” (February 9, 2024), saying that Meta’s latest policy update in regards to the term ‘Zionist” can be misused. “As I told them, in my opinion, this is a slippery slope. From there, you can remove a lot of content that is criticizing Israel and Zionism that is part of legitimate political discussion.”
Similarly, in the Guardian’s report on “Rights groups urge Meta shareholders to end pro-Palestinian content ‘censorship” (May 29, 2024), 7amleh’s Nadim Nashif is cited on the issue of censorship against Palestinian content: “This problem has been going on for at least a decade, and we have not been seeing any real improvement – the policies are the same,” “We have seen in the recent conflict that it is getting worse, and we need to try other strategies, including shareholder engagement.”
In the course of the first half of 2024, 7amleh effectively engaged approximately 4 million individuals across its diverse social media platforms, reaching over 300k video views in total. 7amleh also significantly expanded its base of followers across all platforms, making a remarkable surge of 13.1% on Instagram.