TikTok Censorship Sparks Outcry as Palestinian Journalist Bisan Owda Faces Restrictions After US Ownership Transfer
TikTok’s shift to US ownership has immediately ignited concerns about censorship, with prominent Gaza journalist Bisan Owda reporting restrictions on her account just days after the sale to a consortium of American investors was finalized. The move has fueled accusations that the platform is already prioritizing certain viewpoints over others, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Owda, who amassed a following of 1.4 million on TikTok documenting life under Israeli occupation and the recent genocide, announced the initial ban on Instagram on Wednesday. “I had 1.4 million followers there. I have been building that platform for four years now,” she stated, highlighting the years of effort invested in cultivating an audience.
While Owda’s account appeared to be briefly restored on Thursday, it was subject to limitations. A banner now displayed on her feed reads, “Posts that some may find uncomfortable are unavailable,” suggesting selective content suppression. This partial restoration has done little to quell concerns about the platform’s commitment to free expression.
The timing of these events is particularly significant, coinciding with the completion of the transfer of TikTok’s ownership from Chinese company ByteDance to US investors. ByteDance retains a 20% stake, while 80% is now held by a group led by Oracle, a tech firm co-founded and still headed by Larry Ellison, a billionaire known for his staunch support of Israel.
This change in ownership follows a protracted campaign by US lawmakers to force the sale, citing national security concerns. Pro-Palestine advocates argue that the true motivation behind this push was to silence voices exposing the realities of the conflict in Gaza. As one advocate noted, TikTok’s role in disseminating information about the situation had made it a target for censorship.
The concerns extend beyond Owda’s case. Reports have emerged from other users alleging restrictions on content critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), supportive of Palestinian rights, or generally opposing the Trump administration. TikTok’s owners have attributed these issues to technical glitches and a power outage at a US data center, but many remain skeptical.
The situation is further complicated by revelations about internal policy changes at TikTok. According to a video shared by Owda, the company’s US CEO, Adam Presser, stated last year that TikTok had “tripled the amount of accounts that we were banning for hateful activity,” and that designating someone as “Zionist” was now considered hate speech. This policy shift has raised fears that legitimate criticism of Israeli policies is being unfairly suppressed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself identified TikTok as a “number one” priority for Israel in remarks delivered at the UN General Assembly in September, underscoring the pressure being exerted on the platform.
The censorship of Owda’s account, and the reported restrictions on other users, lend credence to accusations that the new ownership is already implementing a biased content moderation policy. This raises serious questions about the future of free speech on TikTok and the platform’s role in shaping public discourse surrounding sensitive geopolitical issues.
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