Israel's war on Gaza forces young Palestinians to limit digital activity amid fears of assault

Young Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem have scaled back their digital activity since Israel’s war on Gaza began, to avoid assault and intimidation by Israeli forces, a study by the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, also known as 7amleh, has found.

The move to "self-censor" comes amid Israel's onslaught on Gaza and was described as a "troubling" aspect of the digital reality of Palestinians in the study, entitled Digital Security Among Palestinian Youth: A Study on Threats and Challenges in Light of the War on Gaza'.

The research, which was not able to include Palestinians in Gaza due to Israel's war, found the "complex" digital security issues within the Palestinian context due to "multiple entities violating Palestinian digital rights and the varied nature of emerging digital threats".

Jalal Abukhater, 7amleh’s advocacy manager, told The New Arab that the study "confirms our expectations on the reality of digital rights of Palestinian youth, where the feeling of digital security has deteriorated to the point that fear and self-censorship have become pervasive".

Digital platforms, the Palestinian Authority, and private individuals and entities all contribute to violations and pose digital threats to Palestinian users, as well as Israel's occupation.

Since 7 October, many Palestinians have faced issues including censorship policies, reduced access to the internet, and posts being deleted, leading them to refrain from using social media.

7amleh found that 39 percent of respondents reported social pressures to delete political and social posts and half of the respondents reduced their digital activity due to the restrictions they faced.

There is also concerns with internet safety, especially when dealing with political issues relating to Palestine, which involve the risks of exposure to digital threats and attacks.

Half of the respondents have also experienced attacks, including identity theft, while 55 percent have faced harassment and cyber surveillance.

It is because of this exposure that users now practice self-censorship due to feelings of fear, anxiety, and insecurity, which Abukhater says "stifles creativity and silences voices that would otherwise contribute to the vibrant online sphere".

"This self-censorship denies Palestinians their fundamental rights to access information and express themselves freely," he added.

Abukhater also noted that Israeli occupation forces had exacerbated the issue by forcefully checking phones at military checkpoints throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem, subjecting young Palestinians to beatings and humiliation regardless of what was found on their devices.

"Such intimidation tactics not only violate privacy but also create a climate of fear that hinders free expression and creativity," Abukhater said.

"What must be done to mitigate this includes raising awareness on digital security, the importance of protecting private and personal information, including educational courses on digital security in school curriculums, and advocating for stronger protections of digital rights."

Even before 7 October, Palestinians had always been threatened by digital monitoring and censorship.

Using the excuse to monitor Covid patients' whereabouts, 7amleh found in 2021 that Israel’s location-tracking provision was used to monitor citizens’ movements, setting a dangerous precedent in terms of human rights violations.

After 7 October, Human Rights Watch identified key patterns of censorship, including content removals, account suspensions and deletions, and even social media restrictions.