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Tech giants have flattened the global narrative about Gaza on social media. You can post a thirst trap. You can post a Sephora haul. But if you post the word GAZA, you’re shadowbanned, demonetized, or dropped from brand deals. Sometimes all three. Every creator sees it happening. No one in power will admit it. Time to log on.
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In the last two years, since Israel’s assault on Gaza, Big Tech hasn’t just failed to protect free speech, it has helped erase it:
TikTok creators report mass demonetization after using phrases like “Free Palestine” or “genocide.”
Instagram posts showing bombed schools or grieving families are flagged for “violating community guidelines.”
Meta, according to a Human Rights Watch report [ [link removed] ], engaged in systemic, unjustified suppression of Palestinian content.
YouTube has removed videos documenting human rights violations while continuing to monetize Israeli military propaganda.
You don’t have to be a Palestinian rights activists to know this is bullshit.
Content creators have tried a range of self-censorship approaches to skirt algorithmic suppression - referring to Gaza as “G”, “watermelon”, “🍉” or referring to Israel as “the blue and white country”, the “IOF” (for IDF), “Issy” - most to little avail because this isn’t random moderation. It’s coordinated censorship by the companies that now hold the keys to global information. Saadia Mirza shows us here:
And more than ever, those in power want access to the creators shaping that information. They understand what many traditional institutions still underestimate: that creators have built trust at a scale politicians and news anchors can only dream of. A single influencer’s video can move millions, shift sentiment, and reframe the terms of the debate. That kind of trust isn’t just valuable, it’s a threat to the dominant narrative.
While Palestinian voices are being algorithmically erased, a different kind of influence campaign is being quietly funded. According to reporting from The Intercept, PR firms working with Israeli-aligned organization have sought out U.S.-based Jewish influencers and offered to pay them thousands of dollars to post travel vlogs in Tel Aviv, echo IDF talking points, and reframe genocide as “self-defense.” This is cash-for-propaganda shrouded in public diplomacy and it’s designed to overwrite the reality of war crimes with beach photos, brunch aesthetics, and soft-focus nationalism. Raven Schwam Curtis shares her experience:
The targets of these campaigns are intentionally, handpicked creators with loyal audiences. The calculation is simple: if a viewer already trusts you for skincare tips, your political takes, or your fun dances, they’ll listen when you say Israel is “just defending itself.” These are trojan horse partnerships.
At the same time, the creator economy is being reshaped by corporate cowardice. The same brands that slap rainbow logos on their Instagrams every June then drop creators who say the word “Palestine” in November. Not because they’re violating policy, but because they’re violating comfort. Truth is messy. And messy doesn’t sell moisturizer. What we’re seeing is the full machinery of silence: governments criminalizing protest, platforms suppressing speech and denying famine, and corporations blacklisting dissenters to protect quarterly earnings.
It’s all about narrative control and creators are the frontline. Whether they’re being silenced or co-opted, it’s because the powers that be understand: creators shape belief. And belief, right now, is up for grabs. Check out Ariana Jasmine ’s reporting for example:
But here’s what everyone misses: this moment isn’t new. It’s the result of a long, deliberate GOP project to dismantle dissent in every form. Trump has labeled student protestors “terrorists.” Ron DeSantis banned Palestine advocacy on college campuses in Florida. Republicans in Congress move to strip visas from anyone who criticizes Israel. And Big Tech has been on cleanup duty not to protect users, but to stay in good standing with the same far-right institutions that overturned Roe v. Wade, defended January 6, and now want to criminalize solidarity.
Big Tech isn’t afraid of controversy. It’s aligned with power. These companies are not neutral platforms. They exist to reinforce the status quo, protect the powerful, and quietly punish anyone who dares to challenge either. And the most effective way to enforce that silence is to target the people whose followers trust them enough to care.
Shrouded in the language of community standards and brand safety, the algorithm is doing exactly what it was built to do: enforce profit over principle. Censor people who are literally dying. Elevate the ones getting paid. Protect the powerful. Punish the rest.
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