Instagram continues to censor Hamas-related posts despite agreement with Turkey
Instagram continues to remove posts related to Hamas, despite a recent agreement with Turkey that led to the lifting of a temporary ban on the platform.
The Turkish government had imposed the ban from August 2 to August 10 after the platform removed posts from Turkish officials commemorating the Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a July 31 attack in Tehran. The government lifted the ban after reaching an understanding with Meta, Instagram’s parent company, to work on content moderation issues.
Turkey restores access to Instagram after Hamas row
However, Instagram’s content restrictions remain in place. Most recently, Instagram removed a post by Yaman Akdeniz, a law professor and the char of the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD). Akdeniz had shared a screenshot of a condolence message posted by Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun regarding Haniyeh. While Altun's message remains accessible, Instagram took down Akdeniz’s post, citing violations of its policy against "Dangerous Individuals and Organizations."
Akdeniz questioned the decision on social media, asking, “What happened to the agreement with Meta?” He also announced his intention to appeal the removal.
The government’s ban on Instagram was initially triggered by the platform’s removal of posts that referred to Haniyeh as a “martyr.” Although Altun reposted his message following the agreement with Meta, similar posts by other users have continued to be removed, including Akdeniz’s.
Meta has faced criticism for its handling of pro-Palestinian content, with Human Rights Watch accusing the company of “systematic censorship” since the onset of the Gaza war in October. (VK)
