LONDON: Instagram removed on Tuesday a series of posts from American left-wing outlet Democracy Now about the conflict in Gaza.
The posts featured interview clips between host Amy Goodman and journalist Jeremy Scahill discussing his meeting with some Hamas fighters.
These clips were swiftly taken down after Meta-owned Instagram determined they violated community guidelines regarding dangerous individuals and organizations.
According to sources familiar with the takedown notice, Instagram stated the clips were removed due to their inclusion of “symbols, praise, or support of people and organizations we define as dangerous.”
One clip featured Scahill discussing his reporting on whether Hamas members anticipated Israel’s extensive military response following an attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over a thousand Israelis and tens of thousands of Palestinians during months of bombardment and invasion.
Scahill explained that Hamas fighters and officials told him that the “primary motivation (for the Oct. 7 attack) was to shutter the status quo.”
Following the initial removal, Democracy Now uploaded a condensed version of the clip.
In response to queries, a Meta spokesperson acknowledged the videos had been mistakenly removed but were subsequently reinstated.
However, the specific reasons that prompted Instagram to flag these clips as guideline violations remain unclear.
