1. This petition calls on Meta,(CEO) Mark Zuckerberg and (Director of Human Rights)at Meta, Miranda Sissons to:

1. Call on Meta and above mentioned parties to immediately cease suppressing and heavily censoring the voices of human rights activists, Journalists and Palestinian voices, on Instagram and Facebook.
2. Acknowledge and immediately address the findings[1] of the recently published report by Human Rights Watch, entitled " Meta's Broken Promises"[2].

2. WHAT IS AT STAKE ⬇️

• Meta has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant censorship, and often the removal of posts and media associated with the Genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza, and West Bank. 
• Their attempts to suppress these voices  presents a biased and dangerous narrative - As it further endangers the voices of the Journalists risking their lives in Gaza (and West Bank).

A report commissioned by Meta in 2021 [3](published September 2022) carried out by an independent company BSR - found that Meta's censorship of Palestinians specifically during 2021 alone, had:

 “an adverse human rights impact … on the rights of Palestinian users to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, political participation, and non-discrimination”[4]

The full report can be found here [5]

More recently, Human Right Watch * (see footnote below) published an extremely comprehensive report which included some of the following extremely concerning findings:

"Meta’s failure to take decisive action in response to recommendations of its own Oversight Board, notwithstanding years of engagement with civil society, means that the company has failed to meet its human rights responsibilities"- [6]

"Meta’s broken promises have led it to not only replicate past patterns of abuses, but also to amplify them."- [7]

The HRW report also documents that their report "shows that Meta has not delivered on the promises it made two years ago".-[8] This in reference to the recommended actions Director of Human Rights Miranda Sissons said Meta was committing to in the BSR report. [9]

*HRW is an international NGO respected worldwide, HQ in New York City; Comprised of over 550 lawyers, journalists and other field experts that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

3.WHY SIGN THIS PETITION ⬇️

• To also show our solidarity for the bravery of Palestinian Journalists and Palestinian people speaking out against the horrific genocide that is happening to Palestine.
• We must hold Meta accountable. They must be called out for their blatant censorship, shadow banning and attempted erasure of Palestinian voices.

By suppressing the voices of people documenting and speaking out about the horrific genocide of Palestinians Meta is further endangering their lives and the innocent civilians. (Over 90+ Journalists have been targeted and killed since October 2023 in Gaza).

Thank you for taking the time to read this petition, and hope that you will support it.

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References:

1. Human Rights Watch - "Meta’s Broken Promises” Date: 21/12/2023 (Link is here to Recommendations section of report)
2. Human Rights Watch - "Meta’s Broken Promises” Date: 21/12/2023
3. Intercept - “Facebook report concludes company censorship violated Palestinian human rights” Date: 21/09/2022 (Link is here)
4. Hill - "Human Rights Watch finds ‘systemic censorship’ of Palestinian content on Meta platforms" Date: 22/12/2023 (Link is here)
5. Report on Meta by BSR (Business for Social Responsibility) - Date: 22/09/2022 (Link is here)
6. Human Rights Watch - "Meta’s Broken Promises”  Date: 21/12/2023- (Link is here)
7. Forbes -“ Meta censoring peaceful expression on Palestinian Conflict”       Date: 22/12/2023 (Link is here)
8. Washington Post - "Outside audit says Facebook restricted Palestinian posts during Gaza war" Date: 23/09/2022 (Link is here)
9. Meta (formerly Facebook) - Official statement on commitment to which recc. of the BSR reprot they would be looking to implement. Date: 22/09/2022 (Link is here)