Incredible new low — we condemn WhatsApp’s move to block Palestinian journalists’ accounts

November 19, 2019 — The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by WhatsApp’s decision to block the accounts of journalists sharing live updates in Palestine amid the recent attacks by Israel.

We believe that WhatsApp, and its parent company Facebook, needs to immediately rectify its decision to block the accounts, and restore access for the journalists who were using them as a tool to get news out.

Through this communication obstruction in times of conflict, WhatsApp’s act of blocking accounts of journalists and activists in Gaza is a suppression of free speech and a blatant violation of human rights.

During the horrific attacks by Israel, journalists and activists were sharing updates of casualties and destruction in Gaza, which eventually became impossible after the social media messaging platform blocked access to their accounts. Journalists reported having trouble using the messaging app. This happened less than 24 hours after the two-day attack by Israel ended, leaving 34 Palestinian dead and 111 injured.

WhatsApp’s complicity in this act of oppressing journalists and restricting free speech is unacceptable. Social media platforms need to do better. It is the responsibility of influential tech giants like Facebook to work for peace in the region.A group of Palestinian journalists have condemned the act and have accused the app’s management of being complicit in Israel’s horrific violence on innocent Palestinians.

While talking about the current situation in Gaza, the journalists said, “This is to cover up the Israeli crimes and this is a continuation of the mother company, Facebook, as well as Twitter which had banned and blocked pages and accounts of hundreds of Palestinian journalists and media companies with thousands and millions of followers.”

This is not the first time something like this has happened in Palestine. Earlier this year in March, a Palestinian news agency and other social media platforms also reported about Facebook deleting their pages without any warning or justification.The social media giant defended their action by deeming it a move against ‘hate speech’. Twitter has also been known to do the same in the past by blocking accounts of Palestinians national figures supporting the Palestinian struggle.

In 2017, a Palestinian group — Sada Social — was founded to count and record how often social media platforms blocked or removed content against Israel.

We are appalled at how a massive corporation like Facebook is choosing to remain oblivious to how its actions impact freedom of speech and expression in Gaza.

Following its recent steps towards making news accessible for its users across the world and flourishing independent journalism in the digital age, Facebook must walk the talk and ensure that WhatsApp restores the accounts of its users in Gaza. As a support organization for women journalists, as well as advocates of free speech, we expect better from all social media companies and urge them to support journalists rather than suppress their voices.

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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

For more information please visit www.womeninjournalism.org.

Press Inquiries: press@womeninjournalism.org

Turkey & MENA Coordinator: damla@womeninjournalism.org.