Beirut, November 8, 2024 | The Israeli occupation continues to employ the same strategies to mislead residents in Lebanon, whether through fake accounts or paid advertisements on social media platforms. Hate speech against Lebanese and Palestinians remains on the rise, protected by technology companies that are yet to adequately moderate inciting content. Here are today’s updates on the main digital rights violations amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon.
Instagram Makes More Space for Israeli Propaganda
SMEX has documented the spread of Israeli propaganda on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, platforms owned by Meta, as part of the massive “Hasbara” campaign. This past week, some entities on Instagram shared calls in the Lebanese dialect urging “contractors” affiliated with the Lebanese party Hezbollah to reach out, assuring them that communication would be secure and confidential. SMEX warns against interacting with these pages, visiting these sites, or clicking on any shared links.
Israelis Mock Mosque Destruction on Google Services
Users in the region have reported that Israelis are leaving Google reviews on locations destroyed by ongoing Israeli bombings in Lebanon.
Theoretically, Google prohibits any form of hate speech, including content that dehumanizes, belittles, or defames individuals or groups based on protected characteristics, such as nationality or religion, as well as derogatory content aimed at provoking or attacking others. The mocking tone in these reviews, targeting destroyed mosques and besieged tunnels, directly violates this policy by trivializing the destruction of religious and cultural sites, dehumanizing individuals, and defaming them based on nationality or religion. These reviews are not merely provocative statements but are disrespectful to users, intending to offend rather than provide useful information.
SMEX calls on Google to take responsibility and put an end to this new demeaning form of spreading hate speech, which lacks basic human values and ethics.
Mossad Accounts Pose as Lebanese to Entice Residents
The accounts created by the Israeli occupation since the onset of the war are not new, but their numbers have recently increased.
SMEX’s Digital Safety Helpdesk advises users not to engage with these accounts or click on any links they share.
Do not hesitate to report any suspicious pages or users to the Digital Safety Helpdesk, which would investigate their identity and methods of operation.
Meta’s policies state that content attempting to impersonate someone else or pretending to be a well-known figure for the purpose of fraud or deception may be removed. By creating fake accounts that claim to represent Lebanese individuals, Israeli intelligence may be using a strategy that directly violates Meta’s prohibition on using false identities to deceive and gain the trust of targeted individuals.
Finally, remember that you can reach out to SMEX’s Digital Safety Helpdesk if you experience any form of digital threat through:
Signal/WhatsApp: +96181633133
Email: helpdesk@smex.org
