New Delhi: Scores of Instagram users took to social media platform X on Saturday, 15 October to claim that their posts on Gaza are being “shadowbanned” by the Meta-owned social media platform.
While many claimed that their followers are being blocked from commenting and sharing, several users alleged that the views on their Instagram’s ‘stories’ on Gaza and Palestine had drastically dropped compared to other posts.
Shadowbanning pertains to blocking a social media user on a platform without their knowledge, typically by making their posts and comments no longer visible to other users.
Mondoweiss, a news and analysis account dedicated to Palestine with platforms on X and TikTok, reported that its TikTok account had been temporarily taken down.
Some Instagram users have also complained of restrictions on their accounts and inability to livestream.
The targeting of pro-Palestinian accounts came after the Israeli siege was imposed on the Gaza Strip. Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said that “no electric switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened, and no fuel truck will enter” until hostages taken by Hamas in its action were freed.
Meanwhile, Meta put out a statement over the issue, calling it a “bug” which has now been fixed.
This is not the first time Meta platforms have been accused of shadowbanning posts on Palestine.
During the 2021 conflict, scores of key Mulsim figures, including Sheikh Omar Suleiman, author Khalid Baydoun and model Bella Hadid had accused the platform of blocking the reach of their posts.
Despite several such claims since the conflict began, Meta has not officially responded with any clarification.
Comments are closed.