Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, has announced the removal of accounts associated with the Palestinian terror group Hamas. This decision aims to reduce the spread of “terrorist content” online, especially after the recent surprise attack by Hamas on Israel.
Quick Facts
- Post Increase: X reported a surge in posts from daily active users in Israel since the Hamas attack. Over 50 million posts related to the attack have been shared.
- Content Policy: Under its “Violent and Hateful Entities Policy,” X is targeting newly created Hamas-affiliated accounts and other content deemed as promoting terrorism.
- Collaboration: X is working with other social media platforms through the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) to curb the spread of terrorist content online.
Many posts on X have been flagged for mischaracterizing videos or displaying graphic content, contributing to the spread of misinformation. Some posts, which violate X’s policies, include old video footage falsely presented as being from the recent Hamas attack. These have been flagged as “presented out of context.”
There has been a noted increase in hate speech on X, especially after its owner, Elon Musk, laid off content moderators. Dina Sadek, a Middle East research fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, expressed concerns about the misinformation surrounding the Hamas attack and the potential for such posts to incite further violence.
The recent surprise attack by Hamas resulted in the death of at least 900 individuals and injured around 2,500 in Israel. In retaliation, Israeli airstrikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have killed approximately 765 people and injured 4,000 more, as per health officials in the region.
Original article source: DNYUZ
