When Speaking Truth Becomes an 'Algorithm Problem'
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab covers UpScrolled, a new pro-Palestine social media platform, praising its transparency and appeal to users frustrated with the algorithmic suppression and censorship experienced on mainstream sites like TikTok and Instagram. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This 'frustration with algorithms' isn't new. For decades, dissenting voices, particularly
those critical of Israeli policies, have faced systemic suppression. Think back to the systematic silencing of Palestinian narratives during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which left 20,000 dead, or the near-total media blackout on the humanitarian crisis during Israel's 17-year blockade of Gaza, long before the 2023-24 genocide that has now killed over 40,000. Social media companies, under
immense pressure, often align with dominant narratives. Double Standard: While platforms are quick to 'moderate' or 'fact-check' content critical of Israel, extreme anti-Palestinian rhetoric, dehumanization, and calls for violence often proliferate unchallenged. For instance, in 2023-24, Meta specifically admitted to reducing engagement for videos that included words like 'Zionist' while claims of
censorship against pro-Israel content remain largely unsubstantiated. This asymmetry in content moderation reveals a clear bias, yet it's often framed as 'algorithmic error' rather than deliberate policy. Follow the Money: The algorithms aren't neutral; they're influenced by powerful lobbying efforts and deeply embedded political pressures. Groups like AIPAC, which spent $4.5 million in lobbying