More than two million followers are on the State of Israel’s Instagram account, which often shares pro-Israel messages, as do groups like StandWithUs and Students Supporting Israel. Israel’s official presence on Instagram is supported by accounts run by Meta. Yet, there are many complaints about Instagram and Meta, and there is plenty of proof that systematic censorship applies, mainly for pro-Palestinian stories.
According to several investigations and groups like Human Rights Watch, Meta is removing nonviolent posts that back Palestine by using the excuse of moderation. Even though pro-Israel groups are more likely to appear, Palestinian voices tend to get removed through these filters.
Especially during October and November of 2023, Facebook and Instagram removed or obscured over 1,050 posts from Palestine, but only one was about removing pro-Israel content.
How does Instagram handle content related to Israel and Palestine?
Instagram’s approach to handling content about Israel and Palestine is complicated and widely criticized. It is characterized by a dependence on automatic moderating techniques, uneven implementation of standards, and systematic banning of pro-Palestinian content.
1. Systematic pro-Palestinian content censorship
During October and November 2023, Facebook and Instagram deleted or censored more than 1,050 posts that spoke out for human rights and support for Palestine. Compared to 1,049 cases, only one focused on the removal of posts about Israel. Content in numerous languages, mostly English, is subject to this worldwide filtering. Users have complained that their posts and Instagram Stories about Palestine are either completely hidden or have substantially fewer views, a practice known as “shadowbanning.”
Stories about demonstrations or nonviolent support for Palestinians, for instance, can receive only a few views as opposed to the hundreds or thousands they typically receive. Additionally, some users complain that hashtags associated with Palestine or the Al-Aqsa Mosque are either prohibited or eliminated because automated systems incorrectly link them to terrorism or violence.
2. Problems with automated moderation and policy enforcement
Instagram uses a lot of automatic tools to filter content about Israel and Palestine, which has resulted in the suppression of peaceful posts and their incorrect removal. Because of Meta’s uneven enforcement, content that complies with community norms has been removed, indicating a failure to fulfill its due diligence obligations on human rights.
Although Meta has apologized and admitted to some errors, such as inadvertently censoring posts about Al-Aqsa Mosque, these problems still exist. Users were unable to appeal or obtain remedies for content limitations in more than 300 documented incidents, demonstrating the frequent inefficiency of appeals procedures.
3. Content visibility and algorithmic bias
Pro-Palestinian content has been accused of being suppressed by Instagram’s algorithm, which delays its display on users’ Explore pages or feeds and limits its reach. Pro-Israel posts are often easier to find than those using keywords or hashtags related to Palestine, Gaza, Hamas, or the #FreePalestine hashtag, according to reports.
After facing accusations of stifling pro-Palestinian expressions about Gaza in 2021, Instagram changed its algorithm so that all posts, including re-shared ones, got the same priority. Nonetheless, current arguments have not solved the issues caused by algorithmic suppression.
In what ways do users experience restrictions or shadowbanning when posting about Palestine?
Instagram users who post about Palestine face a variety of limitations and shadowbans that severely reduce the exposure and interaction of their content:
- Users complain that compared to normal, their posts, stories, and films about Palestine get far fewer views and interactions. Once in a while, Instagram Stories with lots of views will suddenly be ignored, even though users didn’t change their choices. As a result, ideas supporting Palestinians fail to circulate widely, without any clear explanation.
- It appears that posts from accounts posting about Palestine, Gaza, Hamas, Al Quds, or Jerusalem are being hidden on the Explore page and not appearing as frequently on users’ main feeds. At times, it can be several days before you notice symptoms, or they might never appear.
- Some users have had their posts removed for merely mentioning Palestine or posting messages of peaceful solidarity due to ambiguous or imprecise community guidelines infractions. This includes deleting entire posts or their captions without providing a compelling reason.
- Shadowbanning is more subtle than explicit bans; users are not aware that their reach is being restricted. They only become aware that they are unable to read content when they notice minimal participation, fewer views, or follower reports.
- Users find it more difficult to develop audiences or rally support for Palestinian causes as a result of decreased visibility, which also has an impact on overall account growth and interaction rates.
- Many users complain that they are unable to successfully challenge content limits or removals, which leaves them without a practical way to get their content back or restore visibility.
- To get beyond automated moderation filters, some users employ coded language or inventive spellings, which suggests that many people are aware of the suppression and are trying to get around it.
Could Instagram’s support for Israel be influenced by government or corporate interests?
Since October 7, 2023, Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has responded to almost 94% of the Israeli government’s orders to remove content. These demands, which mostly targeted users from Arab and Muslim-majority countries and posts with pro-Palestinian content, have resulted in the suppression of tens of millions of posts and the removal of over 90,000 posts. Widespread censoring results from the Israeli government’s Cyber Unit actively pressuring Meta to delete content it considers to be inciting or supportive of terrorism, frequently without providing specific content justifications.
Jordana Cutler, the Israel & Jewish Diaspora policy leader at Meta, serves as a liaison between the Israeli government and Meta. Cutler joined the company in 2016 after working for the Israeli government. Coordination and control over Meta’s content filtering guidelines on Israel and Palestine are made easier by this close relationship.
Meta’s AI moderation algorithms, which teach automated tools to recognize and eliminate content critical of Israel, have been updated to incorporate takedown requests from the Israeli government. This extends restrictions beyond Israel’s boundaries to users globally, creating a feedback loop that reinforces censorship in line with Israeli government interests.
Corporate motivations in preserving good ties with governments and averting political or regulatory repercussions are reflected in Meta’s readiness to comply with Israeli takedown orders, frequently without conducting a thorough content analysis. The systematic censoring of Palestinian content on Instagram was facilitated by this acquiescence.
Israel has spent millions on secret social media campaigns that use phony identities on sites like Instagram to spread pro-Israel messages and sway American politicians, further influencing the online conversation in Israel’s favor.
Why does Instagram support Israel?
Arabic content about Palestine is disproportionately targeted by Meta’s content moderation, whereas Hebrew content is less strictly enforced, in part because there aren’t any Hebrew language classifiers. This disparity is a result of systemic bias brought about by pressure from the Israeli government and company policy choices.
Instagram’s support for Israel is not purely coincidental but linked to Israeli officials’ active efforts, the close relationships executives at Meta and Israeli officials have, accepting government orders for removals, and making public opinion shifts their priority. Because of these approaches, the platform makes it easier for Israeli users but actively censors posts and videos from Palestinians.
