Digital Graveyard

Digital Graveyard

In this digital age, the greatest power is freedom of expression. But imagine what happens when the world’s largest tech company, YouTube, bows to the political pressure and starts erasing the truth?

This is not just censorship, but a systematic process of erasing evidence of war crimes that is also being committed against the Palestinian people in the field of technology. This process has in a way put global truth and freedom at risk.

YouTube has proven that truth has no place in the favor of the powerful by deleting more than 700 videos of Palestinian rights organizations.

This terrible fact was revealed in a report by the American website “The Intercept”. The report stated that in October 2025, YouTube secretly deleted the accounts of three of the most important Palestinian human rights organizations from its platform. These organizations were Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR).

The three organizations have long documented Israeli violations. YouTube has removed all content from their channels, including archives, including videos investigating the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh and videos about the genocide in Gaza.

YouTube’s move means that more than 700 pieces of evidence are now inaccessible to international organizations. It is a kind of erasure of the historical record.

YouTube’s action is rooted in US government pressure. According to The Intercept, the decision was made as part of a coordinated campaign aimed at suppressing efforts to hold the three organizations accountable for war crimes against Palestinians. The whole affair began when the three organizations were cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Trump administration responded by imposing special restrictions on these organizations. YouTube called these restrictions part of its policy and closed the accounts.

YouTube itself confirmed that it was committed to complying with the US State Department’s restrictions. This action shows that YouTube prioritized political and commercial interests over ethical principles. Dawn’s executive director Sarah Leah Whitson said that YouTube’s easy bending is regrettable and a major setback for human rights movements worldwide. Similarly, the account of the Addameer prisoners’ rights organization was also suspended at the behest of the British lobby (UK Lawyers for Israel), which shows the extent of the pressure.

Misbar’s editorial team, in an in-depth analysis of the matter, proved that YouTube is not treating the situation equally. Misbar pointed out that on the one hand, YouTube removed content based on Palestinian evidence, but on the other hand, it gave free rein to Israeli propaganda on the platform. For example, YouTube did not block hateful advertisements and content from the Israeli Foreign Ministry that supported the war and incited anger and violence against Palestinians. This is a clear example of double standards.

YouTube has imposed severe restrictions on creators critical of Israel, such as de-monetizing their videos, in order to pressure them to stop speaking the truth under financial pressure. Even YouTube’s own employees have objected to this injustice internally. They cited an Israeli rap song that contained explicit incitement against Palestinians, but the company did not remove it. All this proves that YouTube’s goal is not to follow its community guidelines, but to promote the agenda of the powerful.

The consequences of YouTube’s action will be extremely dire and long-term. This is not just a problem for one platform, but rather a sign of the decline of the global digital system.

Killing accountability: With this evidence erased, it will be impossible to bring war crimes suspects to justice. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said that YouTube’s decision “protects criminals from accountability.” When international courts have no evidence, international law becomes meaningless.

Death of Truth and Self-Censorship: When the content of rights organizations and journalists is no longer safe, ordinary citizens and activists will be afraid to speak the truth. They will fear that their hard work will be wasted and their accounts will be closed. This trend will create a wave of self-censorship, which will allow only the false narrative of the powerful to prevail on the global stage. Our future generations will consider only one truth as history.

Control over technology: This process proves that big technology companies are willing to bow to governments. YouTube’s parent company Google provided the personal Gmail information of a pro-Palestinian student to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This shows that our private data is not safe either. Governments are now using tech companies to not only remove content but also monitor citizens.

The threat of a global precedent: Sarah Leah Whitson warned that this move sets a dangerous precedent. If YouTube bows to American pressure today, tomorrow it will have to suppress voices against its interests under pressure from China, Russia, or any other country. This will strengthen digital dictatorship through technology on a global scale.

YouTube’s decision is a final warning to us. If we do not speak out against this digital censorship today, tomorrow our own freedom, history, and truth will be erased, just as Palestinian videos were erased today. We must pressure these companies globally to uphold the principles of justice, and we must seek alternative platforms that are free from government pressure. Remaining silent in this fight is tantamount to supporting oppression.