ما خفي أعظم "الفضاء المغلق"

The video starts by questioning how Facebook, claiming to uphold freedom of opinion, controls what users can publish. It highlights how thousands of accounts are blocked and Arabic terms obscured, raising questions about who controls content publication. Accusations of bias towards certain parties during conflicts, particularly against Palestinian content, are leveled against Facebook.

A September 2022 report by BSR, an international consulting company, condemned Meta (Facebook's parent company) for deleting thousands of Palestinian pages and posts while overlooking Israeli ones. This report prompted an investigation into Meta's policies and content control mechanisms. A team within the video investigated Facebook's policies to verify their impartiality by creating two Facebook pages, one in Arabic and one in Hebrew, to observe content moderation over several months. Meta and Facebook Oversight Board members were also approached for interviews.

The video expands on Facebook's biased policies by comparing its actions in various global conflicts. It points out similarities in policies against regions like Kashmir, where content from occupied areas is suppressed, and Myanmar, where incitement against the Rohingya went unaddressed. In stark contrast, Facebook's response to the Ukraine conflict saw policies change to allow condemnation of Russian forces, a flexibility not extended to other conflicts like Syria.

A significant shift in Facebook's policies concerning Palestinian content occurred in 2016 after Israel threatened social media companies with new laws imposing hefty fines for not swiftly dealing with Israeli government requests to delete content deemed 'anti-Semitic' or 'spreading hatred'. Eric Barbing, former director of the Israeli Shin Bet's Cyber Unit, admitted Israel's success in shutting down thousands of accounts and blocking 'anti-Israel' content through an organized plan.

Despite Meta's public commitment to human rights and freedom of expression, its handling of Palestinian content during the May 2021 uprising was controversial. Accounts advocating against violence were restricted, and content was deleted under the guise of combating 'violent speech' or 'incitement to violence'. The investigation team created Arabic and Hebrew Facebook pages, posting similar content. The Arabic page received warnings and deletions for content related to Palestinian martyrs, often with immediate restrictions. In stark contrast, the Hebrew page, posting more graphic images and inflammatory text, faced no moderation or warnings. This experiment clearly demonstrated the platform's double standards.

Facebook's content policies are set by a senior management team and applied through a combination of AI, algorithms, and machine learning. The investigation revealed that Arabic content receives disproportionate attention and scrutiny compared to Hebrew, leading to much hate speech in Hebrew passing through unchecked. This imbalance is attributed to a risk-averse interpretation of policies, where content in Arabic-speaking, predominantly Muslim, countries faces stricter censorship.

Facebook established an 'Oversight Board' to monitor its work and commitment to human rights, allowing users to appeal content decisions. Despite the board's claims of independence, a member interview revealed internal acknowledgment of 'excessive enforcement' against Arabic content. A specific case highlighted how the board overturned Facebook's decision to remove news content shared by an Egyptian user, which mentioned a Hamas warning, acknowledging that sharing information doesn't equate to support. However, concerns remain about the board's fundamental ability to address systemic discrimination, especially regarding terms like 'martyr', whose censorship Meta attributed to confusion with 'Al-Aqsa Brigades'.

Linda Sarsour, a prominent Palestinian-American civil activist, experienced significant suppression of her pro-Palestinian content on Facebook, noting a drastic decrease in engagement compared to her posts on other social justice issues. She believes Facebook employs an algorithm to silence or censor Palestinian-related posts. The investigation's experiment further illustrated this, as paid promotion for political content on the Israeli page was approved while similar content on the Arabic page was immediately rejected.

Sophie Jean, a former Facebook data scientist, revealed the company's disregard for fake accounts and cyber armies that influence political affairs. The video suggests that Israel uses such tactics to suppress Palestinian content. The Israeli Cyber Unit, under the Ministry of Justice, acts as a liaison between Israeli security services and Meta, making thousands of requests to remove or restrict Palestinian content. This unit employs mass reporting campaigns, often using bots, to flag Palestinian posts. An application called 'ActIL', launched by an Israeli university and the Israeli American Council, mobilizes thousands of pro-Israel activists to report content supporting Palestine, showcasing a coordinated effort to influence Facebook's moderation.

Jordana Cutler, a former advisor to Benjamin Netanyahu and Facebook's Director of Public Policy for Israel, admitted her role in representing Israel at Meta and influencing policy formulation. She attempted to change the definition of the West Bank from 'occupied territory' to a 'disputed area,' indicating internal influence. Facebook has hundreds of Israeli employees, some with ties to the Israeli military and government, holding various positions. Notably, Amy Palmore, former director of the Israeli Ministry of Justice (responsible for the Cyber Unit), was appointed to Facebook's Oversight Board, raising serious questions about the board's independence amid its involvement in combating Palestinian content.

Meta's relationship with Israel is described as deep, driven by economic interests (Israel as a market) and technological ties. Facebook has acquired several Israeli tech companies and has a significant engineering presence there. This strong alignment is attributed to Israel's large pool of skilled young people, many with military backgrounds in technological units, making it an attractive investment for Facebook. This strategic partnership enables Israel to effectively influence Facebook's policies and censorship practices.

The disproportionate moderation of Palestinian content aims to discourage support for the Palestinian cause. While Palestinians will continue to publish their narrative regardless, the suppression discourages non-Palestinian allies from expressing solidarity, as their content is either ignored or not widely disseminated. This effectively limits the reach of pro-Palestinian voices on the platform.

An unexpected revelation from the former Israeli cyber unit official indicates that cooperation with Meta extends beyond content blocking to requests for *retaining* specific content for intelligence purposes. Intelligence services use this to monitor evolving situations and identify individuals of interest, highlighting a dual use of content moderation for security and surveillance. This strategy risks balancing information collection with preventing harm, as seen during the 2014 kidnapping crisis in Hebron, where Facebook engaged in strategic coordination with Israel.

The investigation concluded with the permanent deletion of the Arabic Facebook page after attempting to post news about a Palestinian martyr, while the Hebrew page, despite publishing content violating Facebook policies, remained active. Meta provided no response to inquiries regarding this discrepancy, reinforcing accusations of hidden agendas and an imbalanced approach to content moderation. The video concludes by asserting that a narrative is confiscated for some while others are unleashed, with Israel and its allies implicated in these hidden agendas.