Meta: Let Palestine Speak

Details: Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00; Written by editor

Meta continues to silence Palestinian voices and disproportionately censor Palestinian content.

Click below to tell Meta executives: Let Palestine Speak.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.&bcc=This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.&subject=Meta%3A%20Let%20Palestine%20Speak!&body=Dear%20(Mr.%20Clegg)%2C%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20recent%20Human%20Rights%20Due%20Diligence%20Report%20of%20Arabic%20and%20Hebrew%20content%20on%20Meta%E2%80%99s%20platforms%20in%20the%20Israel%2FPalestine%20context%20in%20May%202021%20confirmed%20that%20Meta%E2%80%99s%20content%20moderation%20policies%20harmed%20Palestinian%E2%80%99s%20right%20to%20freedom%20of%20expression%2C%20freedom%20of%20assembly%2C%20and%20political%20participation%20among%20other%20rights.%20The%20report%20showed%20Meta%E2%80%99s%20bias%20against%20Palestinians%20through%20over-enforcing%20Palestinian%20Arabic%20content%20and%20under-enforcing%20the%20Israeli%20Hebrew%20content.%20It%20largely%20confirmed%20what%20Palestinians%20have%20been%20saying%20for%20years%20now;%20Palestinians%20have%20been%20systematically%20silenced%20and%20censored%20on%20Meta%20platforms.%20Meanwhile%2C%20hate%20speech%20and%20incitement%20of%20violence%20against%20Palestinians%20in%20Hebrew%20have%20proliferated%20across%20the%20same%20platforms.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0APalestinians%20face%20systematic%20deliberate%20censorship%20on%20Meta%E2%80%99s%20platforms%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20transparency%20about%20governmental%20requests%20to%20take%20down%20Arabic%20content%20-%20both%20legal%20and%20voluntary%20requests%20-%2C%20the%20absence%20of%20a%20co-design%20approach%20with%20civil%20society%20organizations%20and%20other%20stakeholders%2C%20and%20no%20transparency%20around%20the%20dangerous%20organizations%20and%20individuals%20(DOI)%20policy%2C%20among%20other%20reasons.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AMeta%20has%20ignored%20continuous%20calls%20from%20digital%20and%20human%20rights%20organizations%20to%20end%20its%20bias%20against%20and%20censorship%20of%20Palestinian%20content%2C%20and%20BSR%E2%80%99s%20due%20diligence%20report%20pointed%20out%20Meta%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9Cunintentional%20bias%E2%80%9D%20against%20Palestinian%20content.%20However%2C%20of%20the%2021%20recommendations%20made%20by%20BSR%2C%20Meta%20has%20only%20committed%20to%20fully%20implementing%2010%2C%20partially%20implementing%206%2C%20further%20reviewing%204%2C%20and%20rejecting%201.%20Meta%2C%20this%20is%20not%20enough!%20Today%2C%20Meta%20can%20prove%20that%20their%20bias%20was%20unintentional%20through%20its%20commitment%20to%20implementing%20BSR\'s%20recommendations%2C%20and%20ending%20their%20discriminatory%20practices%20and%20policies%20agianst%20Palestinians.%20Therefore%2C%20we%20are%20reaching%20out%20to%20deliver%20a%20simple%20message%20to%20you%20and%20say%3B%20Meta%2C%20let%20Palestine%20speak!%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0APalestinians%20should%20be%20able%20to%20enjoy%20their%20fundamental%20rights%20without%20facing%20systematic%20discrimination%20on%20your%20platforms.%20The%20BSR%20report%20is%20a%20step%20in%20the%20right%20direction%2C%20but%20the%20report%20is%20meaningless%20if%20it%20is%20not%20followed%20up%20with%20meaningful%20action%20by%20Meta%20to%20commit%20to%20implementing%20its%20recommendations%20within%20a%20clear%20timeframe.%20Therefore%2C%20we%20call%20on%20Meta%20to%20announce%20a%20detailed%20implementation%20timeline%20within%2060%20days%20from%20now.%20Last%20but%20not%20least%2C%20for%20a%20comprehensive%20approach%20to%20ending%20the%20silencing%20and%20censoring%20of%20Palestinians%20on%20your%20platforms%2C%20we%20also%20stress%20our%20previous%20calls.%20Meta%20must%20provide%20full%20transparency%20on%20requests%20submitted%20by%20both%20the%20Israeli%20government%20and%20the%20Israeli%20Cyber%20Unit%2C%20including%20Meta\'s%20responses%20to%20these%20requests.%20Meta%20should%20commit%20to%20more%20transparency%20about%20where%20and%20how%20automated%20decision-making%20is%20being%20used%20for%20content%20moderation.%20It%20has%20to%20improve%20its%20mechanisms%20to%20better%20route%20potentially%20violating%20Arabic%20content%20by%20dialect%2Fregion%2C%20Meta%20should%20create%20a%20dialect-specific%20Arabic%20classifier%2C%20working%20in%20partnership%20with%20Arab%20linguists%20and%20language%20model%20experts%2C%20as%20well%20as%20continuing%20its%20work%20on%20having%20functioning%20Hebrew%20classifiers.%20Meta%20should%20be%20more%20transparent%20about%20its%20content%20policies%20related%20to%20the%20classification%20and%20moderation%20of%20DOI%20content%2C%20and%20the%20company%20should%20initiate%20its%20own%20investigation%20to%20designate%20and%20add%20Israeli%20militarized%20groups%20to%20the%20list.%20The%20company%20should%20be%20serious%20about%20ending%20Israeli%20hate%20speech%20against%20Palestinians.%20To%20do%20this%2C%20Meta%20needs%20to%20improve%20your%20Hebrew%20language%20content%20moderation%20by%20creating%20a%20Hebrew%20hate%20speech%20lexicon.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AOnce%20again%2C%20I%20implore%20you%3B%20Meta%2C%20let%20Palestine%20speak!%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0ASincerely%2C%20>'+addy_text24941+'<\/a>'; //-->

A new independent report proves that Meta is systematically censoring Palestinians and their allies through its deeply flawed and biased content moderation system.

Now groups from around the world are emailing Meta executives demanding accountability, and the more people join in on this email campaign, the greater our call will be.

Click below to send a quick message to Meta executives - it will only take a couple of minutes and could have tremendous impact!

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This new report proves Meta’s bias against Palestinians through over-enforcing Palestinian Arabic content and under-enforcing the Israeli Hebrew content. It largely confirmed what Palestinians have been saying for years now: Palestinians have been systematically silenced and censored on Meta platforms.

Meanwhile, hate speech and incitement of violence against Palestinians in Hebrew have proliferated across the same platforms.

Out of the 21 recommendations made in the report, Meta has only fully implemented 10 of them.... It's time to show Meta execs they can't sweep this issue under the rug. Click to send an email - and feel free to personalize it if you wish!

Thanks for all that you do,
Rewan and the team at SumOfUs

More information:

Human Rights Due Diligence of Meta’s Impacts in Israel and Palestine
BSR. 22 September, 2022

7amleh's Statement Regarding BSR’s HRA for Meta on Palestine and Israel
7amleh. 27 September, 2022

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