Israel Cyber Unit Filed 186,000 Takedown Requests for Social Media Posts
Translated & summarized from Al-Shams by baba
Israel's Cyber Unit submitted over 186,000 requests to social media platforms to remove content it identified as incitement to terrorism between May 2024 and September 2026. Platforms removed content in 73.6% of the cases, primarily targeting Arabic-language posts. The extensive requests have sparked debate regarding freedom of expression, censorship, and the criteria for defining incitement online.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's Cyber Unit requested removal of 186,160 social media posts deemed incitement to terrorism.
- Requests were made to platforms like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Telegram.
- Platforms removed content in 73.6% of the 186,160 requests.
- The majority of targeted posts were in Arabic.
- The requests raise concerns about online censorship and freedom of expression.
Israel's Cyber Unit in the State Prosecutor's Office submitted 186,160 requests to social media platforms between May 2024 and September 2026 to remove content it deemed incitement to terrorism. The requests targeted posts on platforms including Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Telegram, with the vast majority of the content in Arabic, alongside five posts in Hebrew and two in English. Social media companies complied with 137,059 of these requests, removing the content in 73.6% of cases. The remaining requests did not result in content removal.
The Cyber Unit monitors content it considers illegal or inciting violence and then approaches platforms to request its removal or restriction. These requests are part of a voluntary process, not legally binding court orders, requiring the platform companies to evaluate the content according to their own policies and procedures.
The high number of requests, particularly for Arabic-language content, raises questions about the extent of government intervention in online speech. It also reopens debates on the criteria used to define incitement to terrorism, the line between incitement and political expression or information sharing, and the transparency and appeal processes for content removal.