Big Tech and the risk of genocide in Gaza: what are companies doing?

This week’s issue of Express is focused on Israel’s digital occupation of Palestine and the ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Learn more about our work on the topic here. Remember: if you’re a human rights defender, journalist, or other member of civil society in need of digital security support, Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline can assist you 24/7 in nine languages, including Arabic and French. We reiterate our call for an immediate physical and digital ceasefire to prevent the worsening of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and further loss of innocent lives.

READ: “Palestinian digital rights, genocide, and Big Tech accountability”

Big Tech companies have been notably silent about the extent to which their products and services are being used in the war on Gaza, whether it is supplying AI systems used to automate airstrikes, or facilitating the spread of online disinformation and incitement to violence. In fact, when the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) sent a survey to 104 tech companies on human rights due diligence during conflict, only 4% responded. While we wait for answers, 7amleh is mapping the use of technology to exacerbate human rights violations against Palestinians, underscoring the urgency of protecting people’s rights and safety. Read more via 7amleh

One year of war in Gaza: decoding the role of Big Tech

Tech-sector employees are becoming increasingly vocal in demanding transparency from their employers regarding their involvement in the war — but so far, companies don’t seem to be listening. Google fired 50 employees who protested cloud contracts with the Israeli government; nearly 400 Apple workers say their colleagues were terminated for speaking out; and several Microsoft staffers have accused the company of reprimanding them for expressing solidarity with Palestinians. Context digs deeper into the push for accountability. Read more via Context

Digital rights during the war on Lebanon

In Lebanon, Israel is now replicating the tactics deployed in Gaza, cutting people off from each other and the rest of the world. SMEX reports that this week alone, Israeli bombardments have targeted telecommunications infrastructure in various parts of Lebanon, and maintenance teams are unable to safely reach and repair them. This follows the weaponization of digital devices in Lebanon and Syria last month, when pagers and walkie-talkies were used as explosive devices. Access Now, along with our partners in the MENA Alliance on Digital Rights, condemned these terrifying attacks, which killed at least 37 people, including several children, and injured at least 3,000 more. Read more via SMEX

WATCH: “Israel’s war in Lebanon: centering Lebanese perspectives”

There are no signs Israel is slowing down its expanded assault on Lebanon. The world must take action. Join the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) on October 17 at 10hr EST for a virtual event to discuss how Israel’s escalation in Lebanon evolved, how the war is impacting civilian life and infrastructure, and what the international community can and must do to end this war. Watch via TIMEP

Palestine unplugged: how Israel disrupts Gaza's internet

Disrupting and controlling information flows has become a central tenet of Israel’s military strategy. In the past year, Gazans have endured 16 internet shutdowns, while digital blackouts, fuel shortages, and attacks on telecom infrastructure and workers have crippled essential services. More shutdowns have been reported as recently as last month. As we've been warning, disrupting internet access and connectivity blocks access to emergency services, and prevents documentation of human rights violations. In December of 2023, a nurse in Khan Younis asked us, “Will anyone hold Israel accountable for its violation in preventing Gazans from communicating and connecting with their families?” It remains imperative that international actors work together to restore connectivity and save lives. Read more via Access Now

eSIMs in Gaza: an imperfect and potentially dangerous alternative

With limited connectivity and frequent disruptions, people in Gaza have taken extreme risks to share what’s happening on the ground, including climbing onto rooftops or entering areas under fire to find an internet signal. Some have found creative ways to circumvent blockades and shutdowns, including using electronic SIMs (eSIMs). But as SMEX has pointed out, these are far from a perfect solution, especially given the destruction of Gaza’s telecommunications infrastructure, which was fragile even before the current war. Read more via SMEX

It’s not a glitch: how Meta systematically censors Palestinian voices

Irene Kahn, the UN Special Rapporteur on free expression, is warning that “the conflict in Gaza has unleashed a global crisis of freedom of expression.” Social media platforms are playing a major role in this crisis, including via their flawed moderation of Palestine-related content that predates the current war. Meta is a major culprit here; as we documented in our report earlier this year, the company is systematically silencing pro-Palestinian voices across its platforms, while failing to adequately moderate hate speech, dehumanization, and genocidal rhetoric against Palestinians. Read more via Access Now

Artificial Genocidal Intelligence: how Israel is automating human rights abuses and war crimes

Israel has long used Palestine as a testing ground for new technologies and weaponry; from its first reported use of AI in the 2021 war on Gaza, to the widespread abuse of facial recognition technologies to track and control Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. But the current war has escalated the digitization and automation of warfare, creating a dystopian reality. So far, we’ve seen the use of remote-controlled quadcopters to surveil, terrorize, and kill civilians, the expansion of biometric surveillance, and the use of automated target generation systems, including “Where’s Daddy?” — designed specifically to target suspected militants at home with their families. Read more via Access Now

Staying safe online in the context of conflict in Gaza

If you’re speaking up for Palestinian rights online, you may confront a wide range of digital threats, including disinformation, censorship, online harassment, doxxing, and shadowbanning. Our digital safety guide, compiled with SMEX, is a resource to help you increase your safety online and protect your community. We have also published a new Arabic-language digital security guide for activists in countries across the Middle East and North Africa region. Finally, as we note above, for those in need of direct assistance, our Digital Security Helpline is available 24/7 for journalists, activists, and other members of civil society. Read more via Access Now

APPLY: Logic(s) Palestinian journalist fellowship

In collaboration with the Arab Reform Initiative, tech-focused magazine Logic(s) has launched a new fellowship program aimed at supporting community-led storytelling on Palestine and its relationship to technology. Four Palestinian journalists will receive a stipend of USD $20,000, as well as training, workshops, and informal mentoring on topics such as secure communication and algorithmic models. Learn more here; the priority deadline is October 16, and final applications will be accepted until November 27. Read more via Logic(s)

Our work advocating for digital rights in Gaza and across the region is only possible thanks to the tireless efforts and collaboration of organizations on the front lines of this fight, including Sada Social, the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), SMEX, and 7amleh, among many others. We encourage you to check out their resources directly.