We must not allow politicians to take away our freedom of speech
OPINION
On February 28, a Tomahawk strike targeted the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls' school. This event coincided with the first day of the US-Israeli operation against Iran, referred to as “Operation Epic Fury” by the administration of US President Donald Trump and “Operation Lion’s Roar” by Israel.
Image: ALI NAJAFI / ISNA / AFP
Recent reports show the Israeli government asked Meta to censor social media content about its conflict with Iran. Records reveal Israel urged Meta to remove posts supporting Iran, opposing Israel, and showing Iranian missile impacts.
The government reportedly targeted material mourning Ayatollah Khamenei's death, endorsing Iran’s retaliation, and Iranian accounts sharing military analyses and propaganda sympathetic to the regime.
Reports further indicate that Meta occasionally complied with censorship requests, although the legal basis for such actions remains uncertain. Meta asserts that it removes content only in accordance with legal obligations or policy violations.
Meta has not responded to inquiries about Iran-related content removal requests since the conflict began. The Israeli Ministry of Justice, which submits these requests, also declined to comment.
Israel’s engagement in social media lobbying is not a recent development; for years, the nation has been accused of maintaining a close relationship with Meta to advocate targeted enforcement of its content moderation policies.
The Office of the State Attorney of Israel routinely files complaints with social media platforms on behalf of national security agencies concerning content deemed illegal or alleged to promote “terrorism."
Although Meta did not directly address inquiries about the removal of Iran-related content, the company maintains that anyone can report content they believe violates platform rules.
Meta maintains its independence, stating that all reports are reviewed in accordance with the platform's policies, regardless of who flags the content or how. It goes on to say that implying that these requests are abnormal or inappropriate is both incorrect and irresponsible.
As the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire: leaked data from Meta whistleblowers last year shows that the Israeli government coordinated widespread censorship of pro-Palestinian content on Facebook and Instagram, with Meta complying 94% of the time. This affected millions worldwide and raises concerns about press freedom.
While we had a right to know who was responsible for the Twin Towers bombing, we also have the right to know who organised and executed an illegal attack on a school in Minab, Iran, four months prior, killing at least 156 people, including 120 children.
Those responsible must be held accountable. We use the internet and social media for a purpose; politicians should not take us back to the past.
