7amleh Launches the Ninth Edition of the Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2025: Registration Now Open with a Full Program of Speakers and Sessions

April 16, 2025, 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media announced the launch of the official agenda for the ninth edition of the Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2025 (PDAF), under the theme: "Disconnected: The Impact of War on Internet Access and Palestinian Digital Rights" The forum will take place online on May 20-21, bringing together participants from around the world to discuss the growing digital challenges Palestinians face, particularly amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

As digital rights come under increasing threat and connectivity remains fragile and frequently disrupted, this year’s forum aims to highlight the centrality of internet access as a basic human right, and the vital role technology plays in times of crisis — including documenting violations, enabling advocacy, and mobilizing support across digital and media platforms.

The 2025 edition is organized in partnership with over 50 local and international organizations, and will host more than 60 speakers and trainers from across the globe. Among them is Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a medical doctor specializing in conflict medicine, who will discuss the devastating impact of Gaza’s destroyed infrastructure on the delivery of healthcare, and how the loss of connectivity and restricted access to vital information have paralyzed medical response efforts.

Award-winning author and scholar Naomi Klein will join 7amleh in a special conversation addressing war crimes in Gaza, the importance of protecting journalists, and the need to defend a free and independent media space in the face of systemic violence and erasure.

From within Gaza, journalist Hind Khoudary, will reflect on her experience reporting from the ground and shed light on the immense challenges faced by journalists amidst bombardment and total communication blackouts.

UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, will explore the impact of Gaza’s telecommunications destruction on the right to freedom of expression and access to information. She will address the responsibility of governments and tech companies to restore connectivity and uphold fundamental digital rights.

Engineer Ibtihal Aboussad, a former Microsoft employee, will speak about her personal experience breaking the silence within Big Tech companies and exposing their complicity in digital repression and violence.

Also joining the forum is Dr. Abdel-Razzaq Natsheh, Palestinian Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy, who will present the national vision for rebuilding Gaza’s destroyed digital infrastructure. He will also outline the roadmap for digital transformation and technological governance in light of current challenges.

This year’s two-day program will feature policy discussions on the first day focusing on digital censorship, international complicity, and the erosion of Palestinian digital rights. The second day will include skill-building workshops on combating disinformation, preserving digital privacy, and supporting digital education in conflict zones.

Key sessions include "Gaza in the Virtual World: From Supporting Journalists to Investigative Reporting," led by journalist and producer Rawan Damen, which will spotlight media solidarity initiatives between Gaza and the Arab world, and emphasize the need to continue amplifying the Palestinian narrative despite silencing and content takedowns.

In the session "Big Tech Sponsored Oppression: From the US to Palestine," researchers and activists from MediaJustice, Ekō, and Muslim Counterpublics Labs will explore how Big Tech companies such as Meta, Google, and Microsoft fuel global digital repression through targeting policies and algorithmic bias, including case studies on how digital ads have been weaponized to suppress pro-Palestine advocacy.

And a session titled "Education Under Siege: Digital Rights, Internet Access, and the Fight for Learning," which explores how the collapse of Gaza’s educational infrastructure has disrupted learning. The session will highlight how Palestinians are building grassroots digital alternatives to continue education under blockade, with over 90% of schools and universities damaged or destroyed since October 2023.

7amleh invites all those interested in digital rights, freedom of expression, and tech justice to register and take part in this vital forum, which continues to shape the digital struggle for Palestinian rights. Visit the forum website to register and learn more: www.pdaf.net