Israel’s digital occupation of Palestine
After more than a year of Israel’s current war on Gaza, Access Now stands with the Palestinian people, who continue to endure one of the deadliest and most destructive wars in recent history. Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 42,000 people and injured at least 97,000 more, with many bodies remaining buried under the rubble or in mass graves. Over 90 percent of the population has been displaced, and the everyday infrastructure of civilian life, including homes, hospitals, and schools, has been decimated.
We also express our solidarity with the people of Lebanon, who are facing escalating violence from Israeli airstrikes, targeted assassinations, and a ground invasion, which have so far killed more than 2,000 people and displaced another 1.2 million. As the violence and atrocities continue, we extend our solidarity to everyone in Israel, Syria, broader Palestine, and across the region, and the world who have been personally impacted by this conflict and whose communities have been targeted with violence.
Attacks on digital rights in times of conflict and crisis enable offline human rights abuses and exacerbate people’s suffering. The protection of free expression and access to information is a lifeline for people struggling to keep themselves and their communities out of harm’s way. Upholding the right to free association and peaceful assembly is vital for expressions of solidarity, and for creating a pathway to demand accountability from all warring parties. We continue to call for an immediate physical and digital ceasefire to prevent the worsening of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and further loss of innocent lives.
Civil society actions
Meta must take immediate action to stop the systematic censorship of Pro-Palestinian voices
The StopSilencingPalestine campaign sent a letter to Meta. However, the company’s response lacked concrete steps to address the detrimental effects of its policies on human rights, both online and offline.
A step in the right direction: Meta Oversight Board’s opinion on the term “shaheed”
Access Now welcome the Oversight Board’s opinion urging Meta to end its blanket ban on the term “shaheed” when referring to individuals designated as dangerous.
Palestine unplugged: how Israel disrupts Gaza’s internet
This report illustrates the state of Gaza’s internet throughout October 2023 by looking at internet traffic by ISPs and locations.
A week in the dark: connectivity in Gaza must be restored now
For a week, Gaza has been under a complete internet and telecom blackout, the longest since October. The international community must act to #KeepItOn.
فلسطين خارج التغطية: كيف تقطع إسرائيل الإنترنت عن غزة
يقدّم هذا التقرير دراسة لحالة الإنترنت في قطاع غزة طوال شهر أكتوبر 2023 من خلال تحليلٍ حركة الإنترنت حسب مزوّدي خدمات الإنترنت في مختلف مواقع القطاع.
Meta is revisiting its hate speech policy on Zionism — here’s why it’s (still) a bad idea
Meta is (re)considering how to moderate content involving the term “Zionist.” Here’s why this hate speech policy is (still) a bad idea.
It’s not a glitch: how Meta systematically censors Palestinian voices
This Access Now report documented cases of how Meta censors Palestinian voices on Facebook and Instagram.
What the U.S. can and must do to reconnect Gaza
Gaza is suffering under its ninth recent telecommunications and internet shutdown. We outline how the U.S. can help reconnect Gaza.
A coalition of international organizations demands that Meta refrain from censoring criticism of Zionism on its platforms
Access Now joins over 70 civil society organizations in urging Meta to abstain from censoring criticism of Zionism on its platforms.
#StopSilencingPalestine: Meta must overhaul its biased content moderation
Access Now and the #StopSilencingPalestine campaign are again calling Meta to end its long history of censoring Palestinian voices.
U.S. Senator joins civil society’s call: #StopSilencingPalestine
U.S. Senator joins civil society’s call to #StopSilencingPalestine. Meta’s censorship of Palestine-related content must end now.
Guides
Staying safe online in the context of conflict in Gaza
This digital resilience tipsheet compiled by Access Now and SMEX is designed to support you in defending against reported threats.
Tech and conflict: a guide for responsible business conduct
This guide is meant to help tech companies think through the impacts of their decisions in the context of conflict.
Content governance in times of crisis: how platforms can protect human rights
The “Declaration for content and platform governance principles in times of crisis” lays out principles for social media platforms to help ensure privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information during crises.
DIGITAL SECURITY HELPLINE
Our Helpline provides 24/7 free of charge technical support for journalists, activists, and human rights defenders
Additional resources
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Genocidal Intelligence: how Israel is automating human rights abuses and war crimes
Israel’s war on Gaza has revealed how mundane, unsophisticated AI surveillance systems are being used to unleash the most dystopian, tech-driven horrors on Palestinians.
FAQS
What does Palestine’s online space look like?
Historically, online spaces have been more restricted and difficult to access in Palestine than in other countries. This is largely due to interference with available technology, online censorship, and surveillance, including:
- Israel’s long-standing ban on technology upgrades means that people can only access slow, unreliable 2G service in Gaza and 3G in the West Bank.
- Unequal content moderation practices, including by Meta, that disproportionately suppress Palestinian and Arabic-language content, leading to civil society calls to #StopSilencingPalestine.
- Pervasive online surveillance including the use of biometric surveillance technologies and the targeting of Palestinian human rights defenders’ mobile devices with notorious Pegasus spyware, making digital communication unsafe for members of civil society and Palestinians at large.
- Previous military offensives in Gaza, where vital civilian internet infrastructure was repeatedly targeted, leading to near-complete internet blackouts.
Since the Israeli siege on Gaza escalated, access to internet and telecommunications services have been severely limited. This is a result of attacks on civilian infrastructure, fuel depletion, and deliberate shutdowns by Israeli authorities, including:
- Al–Watan Tower, a building that houses media offices and serves as a hub for internet service providers has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes.
- The offices of two other ISPs, Paltel and Jawwal, were also destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
- Based on our analysis of available data, as of October 31, 15 of the 19 providers operating in Gaza were facing a complete shutdown of their mobile and broadband services, and the internet traffic across Gaza had decreased by over 80%.
- As of November 20, there had been four full communication blackouts in Gaza: on October 27-29, November 1, November 5, and on November 16 as Paltel announced the shutdown of their services in Gaza due to fuel depletion.
How have internet shutdowns been weaponized in this war?
Over the past year, people in Gaza have endured 16 internet shutdowns; a form of digital occupation used to silence millions of people trapped and struggling to survive in Gaza, and to further isolate them from the outside world. Digital blackouts, fuel shortages and attacks on telecom infrastructure have severely crippled essential services, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Since the Israeli attacks on Gaza escalated, access to internet and telecommunications services have been severely limited due to attacks on civilian infrastructure, fuel depletion, and deliberate shutdowns by Israeli authorities. Israeli airstrikes targeted key telecom sites, includingAl–Watan Tower, a building that houses media offices and serves as a hub for internet service providers, and . the offices of two other ISPs, Paltel and Jawwal. Of Gaza’s 19 ISP, 15 experienced total service shutdowns, while the remaining four faced severe disruptions. Tragically, two Jawwal technicians were killed by an Israeli missile while attempting to restore connectivity in Khan Younis.
How are social media and tech platforms contributing to the silencing of Palestinian voices?
For years, Palestinian voices have been systematically silenced online. Since October 7, social media platforms including Meta have disproportionately removed Palestinian and pro-Palestinian content, erasing the narratives of those directly impacted by the war, as well as expressions of support for their plight. Tech companies such as Google and Amazon have yet to clarify whether they are facilitating Israel’s military operations in Gaza, and there have been widespread concerns raised about the use of AI systems for automated targeting in Gaza.
What types of technologies have been deployed during the war on Gaza, and how have they impacted civilians?
Media reports highlight the use of AI systems by the Israeli military for automated targeting, including tools like “Lavender,” “The Gospel,” and “Where’s Daddy?” which monitor individuals in real-time and help generate targets for strikes. These technologies have raised concerns about their role in civilian casualties and the broader ethical implications of using AI in warfare.
What can the international community do to defend digital rights for people impacted by this conflict?
Civil society has issued 25 recommendations for parties to the conflict, international organizations, global leaders, private sector actors, and other international stakeholders in support of an immediate physical and digital ceasefire. Individuals can support by holding their home governments accountable for responding to these calls to action, speaking out in support of a ceasefire, seeking out trustworthy news sources, and amplifying the voices of Palestinians who are being silenced online.
Latest updates
Access Now: İsrail’in Filistin’e yönelik dijital işgaline karşı mücadele
Toward a digital ceasefire
The ascent of cyber warfare is weaponizing our digital world; it’s time to embrace the concept of “digital ceasefire.”
Statement on the targeting and killing of journalists in Palestine and Lebanon
We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese journalists bravely reporting amid life-threatening risks.
Meta’s Israel Policy Chief tried to suppress pro-Palestinian Instagram posts
Big Tech and the risk of genocide in Gaza: what are companies doing?
Big Tech is playing a central role in enabling the relentless mass slaughter and destruction unleashed in the war in Gaza.