When Accountability Goes Viral, The Platforms Change The Rules
📰 THE STORY: Palestinian Emmy-winning journalist Bisan Owda, boasting 1.4 million TikTok followers, has reported on the impending TikTok ban in the US. She connects the ban to shifting US ownership and comments from Benjamin Netanyahu, implying a coordinated effort to silence pro-Palestinian narratives. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This isn't the first time powerful
entities have tried to control information flow to shape public opinion. In 2011, during the Arab Spring, Western governments and media largely ignored calls for censorship when social media exposed their dictatorial allies. However, when social media became a tool to expose Israeli atrocities in Gaza post-October 7, 2023, the narrative for a TikTok ban in the West suddenly gained bipartisan
traction. The US has a long history of meddling in foreign platforms; recall the initial push for censorship of Russian-backed media during the Ukraine war, now conveniently applied to Chinese-owned TikTok when it serves other imperialist interests. Double Standard: Western media and politicians frequently decry 'foreign interference' on social media when it benefits adversaries (e.g., alleged
Russian meddling in US elections). Yet, when TikTok's algorithm allegedly amplified pro-Palestinian content, it was suddenly deemed a 'national security threat' and a Chinese propaganda tool. Meanwhile, platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) continue to host rampant disinformation campaigns from Western-aligned states and their proxies – often with direct Israeli government coordination