Digital Literacy Palestine Project #62373

Protect Palestinian Digital Rights!

by 7amleh- Arab Center for Social Media Advancement

Project Report | Jan 10, 2025
Protect Palestinian Digital Rights! project update

By Hani Barghouthi | Development and Communication Officer

7amleh’s mission to safeguard Palestinian digital rights is more urgent than ever, and we are filled with gratitude for your support in 2024. Over the past year, Big Tech companies have ramped up their repression of Palestinian voices on their social media platforms and their punishment of Palestinian advocacy in their workplaces. They have done this in the context of what legal experts and human rights organizations have called a genocide against Palestinians.

If you made a one-off donation last year, please consider making a recurring contribution to power our work.

Palestinians, like everyone else in the global digital ecosystem, deserve online security and safety. In 2025, we will continue to advocate for fairer treatment by Big Tech, document online violence and abuses through our research and empower vulnerable Palestinians to protect themselves against online harassment and surveillance.

In the meantime, we’d like to let you know what we’ve been up to for the last few months since we last updated you.

Since June 2024, 7amleh has:

Issued three position papers, on PayPal’s digital discrimination against Palestinians; the European Union’s AI Act and its implication for Palestinian digital rights; and Digital safety among Palestinian youth in Palestine and Israel.

Produced five reports:

Palestinian digital rights in the context of a plausible genocide and Big Tech accountability, for which we also held in-person event in London in collaboration with Makan and Amnesty Tech.
The destruction of Gaza’s telecommunication infrastructure and its humanitarian impact;
Big Tech worker testimonies on Palestinian advocacy and workplace suppression, for which we also held a webinar on workplace repression with former Big Tech employees who were punished for trying to prevent their labor from being used to violate Palestinian human rights;
The intensification of Israel’s surveillance in East Jerusalem; and
Meta’s censorship of Palestinian voices.

Held the Advancing Palestinian Digital Rights convening in Brussels, bringing together 50 stakeholders to discuss many of the issues we documented in our reports and position papers, including the Impact of EU legislation and regulation on Palestinian digital rights, as well as Big Tech accountability. Moderators and speakers included representatives from the European Parliament, the European Digital Rights network (EDRi), Access Now and Makan.

And more.

As the new year begins, we want to work towards a 2025 that is safer, more secure and more just for Palestinians and their allies in the digital space. Thank you, again, for helping us bring this vision to life. Your donations helped carry us through 2024, and we hope you will continue to support this urgent work.

Permalink

Sep 2, 2024
Protect Palestinian Digital Rights! project update

By Zeina AbuSitteh | Communication Lead

At 7amleh, our mission remains steadfast: to ensure that everyone has a free, fair, and safe digital space to express themselves and advocate for their rights. The ongoing challenges in the digital landscape, especially in the context of the recent conflict, have underscored the need for our dedicated efforts.

Key Achievements Since Last Report

Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF) 2024 - 7amleh concluded the eighth edition of the Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF). This year’s forum, themed “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Revolutionary Promises & Discriminatory Realities,” was held virtually over two days. It attracted over 1200 participants from around the world and featured 70 speakers. Collaborating with 50 partner organizations, the forum provided a platform for critical discussions on the implications of AI for Palestinian digital rights amidst the escalating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The forum included notable guests such as Antony Loewenstein, Dr. Abdul Razzaq Al-Natsheh, Dr. Timnit Gebru, and Sam Gregory. Highlights included discussions on AI's impact on human rights and sessions on combating misinformation and using AI for advocacy.

Arabic Violence Indicator - 7amleh launched the “Arabic Violence Indicator,” a cutting-edge tool utilizing artificial intelligence to monitor and analyze hate speech and violence on Arabic social media platforms. This tool is integrated into “7or - the Palestinian Digital Rights Violations Observatory,” enhancing our ability to detect and assess harmful content in real-time.

Since its launch, the Arabic Violence Indicator has identified approximately 261,000 pieces of violent content, primarily on Facebook. This tool not only detects but also evaluates the distribution and engagement of such content, providing crucial insights for developing effective interventions.

Publications and Research - Since May 3, 2024, 7amleh has published four new reports that further our understanding of digital rights and safety issues. These publications include in-depth analyses and research findings that contribute significantly to the discourse on Palestinian digital rights. Each report offers valuable insights into various aspects of digital engagement and challenges faced by Palestinians online.

Challenges Faced

Despite our progress, we faced challenges including increased digital censorship and the need for continuous adaptation to evolving threats. Our team has been working diligently to address these issues, employing innovative strategies to maintain our advocacy and support efforts.

Next Steps

Looking ahead, 7amleh aims to build on our recent achievements by expanding our digital rights initiatives and exploring new tools for monitoring and advocacy. We will continue to engage with international partners and stakeholders to enhance our efforts and address emerging challenges in the digital sphere.

Our recent achievements underscore the critical role of 7amleh in defending Palestinian digital rights. With your continued support, we remain committed to ensuring that Palestinian voices are heard and their digital spaces protected. Together, we can uphold the principles of freedom and justice in the digital age.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our donors and partners for their unwavering support. Your contributions are instrumental in advancing our mission and making a tangible difference in the lives of Palestinians.

Links:

Permalink

May 3, 2024
Protect Palestinian Digital Rights! project update by 7amleh

By Zeina AbuSitteh | Communication Coordinator at 7amleh

At 7amleh, our mission is clear: to ensure that everyone has a free, fair, and safe digital space to express themselves and advocate for their rights. But recent times have brought unprecedented challenges.

The outbreak of conflict in Gaza triggered a surge in digital rights violations. 7amleh stepped up its efforts to defend Palestinian digital rights. We worked tirelessly to reinstate removed content, lift account restrictions, and protect individuals' accounts. Our team actively engaged with social media companies, advocating for policy changes to safeguard freedom of expression. Additionally, we launched innovative initiatives, such as the AI-generated hate speech indicator, to monitor and combat online racism and incitement.

Our work extends far beyond the immediate crisis. For decades, the voices of Palestinians have been marginalized and misrepresented in the international arena. Social media provided a platform for Palestinians to share their lived experiences with the world, but censorship threatens to erase these narratives once again. By protecting Palestinian digital rights, we are not only ensuring their ability to tell their story but also challenging the narrative of oppression and dispossession.

Since the inception of our project on GlobalGiving, 7amleh has achieved significant milestones in the fight for Palestinian digital rights. We have published insightful reports, conducted groundbreaking research, and developed practical resources to empower Palestinians in the digital sphere. Our trainings on digital security have equipped local youth with the skills to navigate online threats, while our social media campaigns have raised awareness about digital safety.

With your ongoing support, we persist in safeguarding Palestinian digital rights, ensuring that Palestinian voices resonate loudly and clearly across digital platforms.

Links:

Permalink

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.