The Censorship Conundrum: When Algorithms Silence the Voiceless
How Meta's Platforms Are Suppressing Palestine's Voice
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When evaluating the decisions made by Meta-owned platforms like Instagram, it is essential to apply the same fair-minded approach to national security concerns as we do to freedom of expression.
Since October 7, Instagram has been systematically flagging and removing posts supporting Palestine, citing violations of community guidelines or labeling them as spam.
This blatant bias was evident from the start of the war, and a recent report by Human Rights Watch shed light on the troubling algorithmic selectivity of Instagram and Facebook, raising concerns about freedom of expression in the context of the war in Gaza.
The report highlighted the pervasive algorithmic censorship affecting the sharing, liking, and commenting on pro-Palestinian content, as well as the shutdown of prominent social media activist Shaun King's account after his posts about Gaza.
This systemic suppression of users voicing rightful outrage against human rights abuses reflects corporate authoritarianism wielded through algorithmic control.
The complex relationship between corporate social media platforms and sovereign states is crucial to understand. While social media platforms have emerged as vital channels for users to amplify their voices, the true measure of freedom is exposed when corporate interests and values come into conflict with user expressions. Governments, too, play a crucial role in shaping the landscape of algorithms and freedom of expression.
Take, for example, the bipartisan consensus on banning TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, in the United States. Those advocating for sensitivity to national security concerns in the US-China power struggle should apply the same fair-minded approach when evaluating Instagram's decision on freedom of expression.
If a platform inherently biases its approach to free speech based on preset limits, the fundamental issue lies with the platform itself. Social media platforms wield the power to generate global awareness of egregious human rights violations, such as those occurring in Gaza. When these platforms enforce algorithmic censorship on such content, it reveals a deeper, principled problem.
In understanding Instagram's recent decision, we must ask: Can a social media platform that legitimizes discriminatory selectivity truly serve as a bastion of free expression?
When a platform enforces its boundaries through censorship and restrictions, it fundamentally undermines the very essence of open dialogue. To genuinely uphold the values of free expression, Instagram must commit to a stance that is transparent, unbiased, and inclusive.
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