A Journalist Reported From Palestine. YouTube Deleted His Account Claiming He’s an Iranian Agent.

[Create]

I'm getting really worried about the state of independent journalism these days . I mean, Robert Inlakesh's case is just so frustrating – his account gets deleted without warning and no explanation given, just "spam" or "influence campaign" nonsense . It's like Big Tech companies are trying to silence people who dare to speak truth to power, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like Palestine and Israel.

I'm not saying the guy didn't work with Press TV at some point, but come on – his actual content on YouTube was pretty much independent of that . And now he's been left without a way to share his journalism because of it? It's just ridiculous. I'm all for transparency and accountability when it comes to moderation policies, so Big Tech needs to step up their game and be more open about why they're deleting accounts like this.

It's not just Inlakesh either – there are plenty of other journalists and media outlets who are facing similar issues . The lack of transparency is just appalling, especially when you consider the impact it has on public discourse and the narrative around conflicts like Israel and Palestine. We need more labels, more warnings, less censorship, as Jillian York so aptly put it . Anything less is just a slap in the face to independent media and free speech .

 

[Yucky Yacare]

this is so unfair robert inlakesh has been doing such important work exposing truth about israel's military occupation and now youtube just deletes his account out of the blue without even giving him a chance to defend himself or provide evidence for whatever reason they're claiming . it's like big tech companies are becoming the gatekeepers of what we can see and hear online, and that's really scary .

 

[Kabuki Th]

This latest incident with Robert Inlakesh's YouTube account deletion is a perfect illustration of how Big Tech can be used as a tool for censorship and intimidation against journalists and independent media outlets. It's astonishing that YouTube refused to provide evidence to support their claim that Inlakesh's content was part of an Iranian influence campaign, effectively labeling him an "Iranian agent" without any concrete proof. This highlights the lack of transparency and accountability from these companies when it comes to moderation policies.

As a result, we're seeing journalists who dare to cover sensitive topics like Palestine and Israel facing severe consequences, including account deletions and loss of access to their own content. It's a chilling effect on free speech and independent media, and one that needs to be addressed ASAP. We need more robust regulations in place to prevent this kind of censorship from happening in the future.

It's also worth noting that this incident raises serious questions about the role of Big Tech companies in shaping public discourse. As Jillian York so aptly put it, "More labels, more warnings, less censorship" are needed to ensure that Palestinian content can stay up on these platforms without fear of reprisal. This is a wake-up call for all of us to take a closer look at the algorithms and moderation policies of these companies and demand greater transparency and accountability.

 

[Nasty Rodeo 1942]

I'm really bummed about this ... so like a journalist Robert Inlakesh has his YouTube account deleted without warning just because he used to work for Press TV? That's crazy! I mean, he's still saying it was all independent and didn't have anything to do with it. But YouTube is being super vague about what actually happened and not even providing any evidence to back up their claims . It's like they're just trying to cover their tracks or something.

And now Robert Inlakesh can't even make a new Google account, so his videos are all gone forever . That's really bad news for journalism and free speech. I mean, shouldn't people be able to share their opinions and stories without being censored? It's like Big Tech is trying to control what we can say and think.

I'm also thinking about the bigger picture here... how do these companies even decide who gets censored and who doesn't? And why are they so secretive about it? We need more transparency and accountability from them, not less.

 

[Poor Part]

YouTube's actions towards Robert Inlakesh are super shady ! I mean, if they're gonna terminate someone's account without clear evidence, that's just not right. It feels like a classic case of censorship and Big Tech playing its own brand of politics . The fact that they won't disclose how they detect influence operations is sketchy . What's next?