7amleh's report exposes bias against Palestinian rights advocacy in tech, urging companies to protect employees' freedom of expression.
This statement was originally published on 7amleh.org on 12 November 2024.
7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media has released a new report titled, “Delete the Issue: Tech Worker Testimonies on Palestinian Advocacy and Workplace Suppression.” The report, the first of its kind, shares testimonies gathered from current and former employees in major technology companies, including Meta, Google, PayPal, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Cisco. It highlights their experiences supporting Palestinian rights in the workplace and the companies’ efforts to restrict freedom of expression on the matter.
The report includes 25 testimonies that shed light on the censorship and discriminatory policies faced by employees advocating for Palestinian rights in their work environments, reflecting a systemic and structural bias against supporters of Palestinian rights within tech companies. It reveals that these companies disproportionately remove and silence content supporting Palestinian rights, whether it be explicit support for freedom and independence, humanitarian sympathy for Palestinian war victims, or even educational content.
This report comes amid increased censorship on social media platforms since the start of the war and genocide in Gaza, revealing that while content supporting Palestinian rights faces strict scrutiny, the same level of control is not applied to pro-Israel content. This bias and discriminatory approach reflect a complete alignment of these companies with U.S. government biased policies, especially in the Middle East. Nadim Nashif, Executive Director of 7amleh, stated that “the report exposes the double standards and policies of these companies regarding human rights issues, as they adopt a biased approach aligned with U.S. foreign policy instead of adhering to the United Nations’ guiding principles on business and human rights.” Notably, the report builds on a series of reports 7amleh has issued over the past decade on digital rights violations against Palestinians by these companies.
In its report, 7amleh recommends that tech companies commit to ensuring digital rights for all by respecting employees’ freedom of expression, fostering a workplace environment that allows open dialogue without discrimination or selective censorship, and streamlining mechanisms to address digital rights violations. 7amleh also calls for public and independent evaluations of companies’ human rights impacts and compliance with international agreements. Additionally, 7amleh encourages employees to know their rights, work with civil society to demand transparency and accountability, and urges civil society and unions to provide legal support for employees. It also calls on governments to promote fair content management on corporate platforms, protect employee rights, and adhere to international human rights guidelines.
For the full report, please visit the link here.
