Digital Violations Surge in August Targeting Women and Journalists

A recent report documented a significant rise in digital violations during August, with a total of 718 recorded incidents. The majority, 705, occurred between users, while 13 were technical or administrative actions by platform administrators, including blocking, restricting access, and account closures. Instagram saw the most administrative actions with six cases, followed by Facebook and WhatsApp with three each, and X with one.

The report highlighted that 85 digital violations, approximately 11.83% of the total, specifically targeted women. These included defamation campaigns, incitement, impersonation, and hacking attempts. The findings suggest a continued pattern of digital targeting against women and female journalists, potentially leading some to reduce their online presence.

Journalists and media organizations also faced 51 violations, with 46 occurring in the Gaza Strip, representing about 90% of violations against the press. Five cases involved journalists in the West Bank, Jerusalem, or outside Palestine. Six media organizations were subjected to repeated incitement campaigns.

Among user-to-user violations, hate speech and defamation were most prevalent with 322 cases (45.67%), followed by verbal abuse with 317 cases (44.96%). Together, these two categories accounted for over 90% of such violations.

Separately, the center received 11 complaints regarding the restriction or blocking of Palestinian accounts. They successfully recovered nine accounts, including five on Instagram, three on WhatsApp, and one on Facebook.