"The suppression of pro-Palestine expression across Europe is part of a broader pattern in which platform policies, state pressure, and legal frameworks combine to restrict legitimate speech and access to information" - 7amleh.
This statement was originally published on 7amleh.org on 13 September 2026.
7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media has launched a new report titled “Solidarity Censored: Examining Digital Suppression of Pro-Palestine Support Across Europe.” The report examines how pro-Palestine expression is restricted online across Europe, and how platform governance, national legal frameworks, and state pressure shape freedom of expression and access to information.
The report finds that censorship of Palestine-related content cannot be attributed to social media platforms alone. It results from the interaction between platform policies, national legislation, regulatory pressure, political dynamics, and government requests, creating a chilling effect that can lead users to self-censor or withdraw from public debate.
The report focuses on France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, examining online censorship between October 7, 2023 and December 31, 2025. It uses a mixed-methods approach combining legal analysis, case studies, survey data, interviews, and testimonies from affected users, civil society organizations, legal experts, and tech workers.
The findings document restrictions including content removals, account suspensions, reduced reach, shadow banning, limits on commenting and sharing, and restrictions on features such as livestreaming. In many cases, users received little or no explanation, making these decisions difficult to understand or challenge.
The report also highlights the role of automated content moderation and weak transparency. Practices such as shadow banning can occur without user notification, while existing mechanisms under the Digital Services Act (DSA) still provide limited insight into Palestine-related censorship and government-driven takedown requests. At the same time, the DSA offers important tools for users and civil society to appeal unfair decisions and push for greater platform accountability.
“The suppression of pro-Palestine expression across Europe is part of a broader pattern in which platform policies, state pressure, and legal frameworks combine to restrict legitimate speech and access to information. European governments, institutions, and technology companies must do more to protect freedom of expression and ensure that Palestinian rights advocacy is not disproportionately silenced,,” said Nadim Nashif, Executive Director of 7amleh.
The report calls on social media platforms to strengthen transparency, ensure meaningful human oversight of AI-driven moderation, and assess the impact of their systems on marginalized voices. It also urges national governments and the European Commission to strengthen DSA enforcement, support legal remedies and independent research, and ensure that lawful pro-Palestine expression is not disproportionately restricted.
7amleh emphasizes that protecting Palestinian narratives and solidarity online is a broader freedom of expression and digital rights issue, requiring coordinated action from technology companies, governments, European institutions, and civil society.
The full report is available here.
