In February 2024, YouTube deleted the account of independent British journalist Robert Inlakesh without warning. His channel featured dozens of videos documenting Israel's military occupation of the West Bank and had garnered a significant following over the past decade.
Before his account was deleted, Inlakesh had worked from the London office of the Iranian state-owned media organization Press TV from 2019 to 2021. However, he maintained that his work for Press TV should not have led to the erasure of his entire YouTube account, as most of the content on his channel was independent and predates or postdates his time at Press TV.
YouTube initially claimed that Inlakesh's account violated its community guidelines, but later alleged that it contained spam or scam content. The company eventually provided a separate explanation for the termination: that Inlakesh's page was connected to an Iranian influence campaign.
However, YouTube refused to provide evidence to support this claim and stated that it doesn't discuss how it detects influence operations. Inlakesh remains unable to make new Google accounts, preventing him from sharing his video journalism on the largest English-language video platform.
The termination of Inlakesh's account is part of a broader pattern of censorship by Big Tech companies, particularly Google and YouTube. The company has a long history of censoring Palestinian content or content critical of the Israeli government, often relying on automated systems that flag content.
In July 2023, YouTube deleted Inlakesh's private backup account, and in August, Google deleted his Google account, including his Gmail and archive of documents and writings. The company initially claimed that Inlakesh's content was spam or scam, but later alleged that it contained Iranian influence content.
This incident highlights the risks faced by journalists who cover sensitive topics, particularly those related to Palestine and Israel. The lack of transparency and accountability from Big Tech companies can have severe consequences for independent media outlets and their contributors.
In a statement, Inlakesh expressed frustration at being labeled an "Iranian agent" without evidence: "You're basically saying I'm a foreign agent of Iran for working with an outlet; that's the implication. You have to provide some evidence for that. Where's your documentation?"
The incident raises questions about the role of Big Tech companies in shaping public discourse and the consequences of their actions on independent media outlets. As journalist Jillian York noted, "More labels, more warnings, less censorship" are needed to ensure that Palestinian content can stay up on these platforms.
Inlakesh's case is just one example of the broader issues facing journalists and media outlets in Palestine. The loss of footage and documentaries related to Israel and Palestine has a significant impact on the narrative around this conflict.
The situation highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability from Big Tech companies, particularly when it comes to censorship and moderation policies. As Mohsen Farshneshani, principal attorney at the Washington D.C.-based Sanctions Law Center, noted: "Deleting an entire account is far from what the statutes or the regulations ask of U.S. entities."
Before his account was deleted, Inlakesh had worked from the London office of the Iranian state-owned media organization Press TV from 2019 to 2021. However, he maintained that his work for Press TV should not have led to the erasure of his entire YouTube account, as most of the content on his channel was independent and predates or postdates his time at Press TV.
YouTube initially claimed that Inlakesh's account violated its community guidelines, but later alleged that it contained spam or scam content. The company eventually provided a separate explanation for the termination: that Inlakesh's page was connected to an Iranian influence campaign.
However, YouTube refused to provide evidence to support this claim and stated that it doesn't discuss how it detects influence operations. Inlakesh remains unable to make new Google accounts, preventing him from sharing his video journalism on the largest English-language video platform.
The termination of Inlakesh's account is part of a broader pattern of censorship by Big Tech companies, particularly Google and YouTube. The company has a long history of censoring Palestinian content or content critical of the Israeli government, often relying on automated systems that flag content.
In July 2023, YouTube deleted Inlakesh's private backup account, and in August, Google deleted his Google account, including his Gmail and archive of documents and writings. The company initially claimed that Inlakesh's content was spam or scam, but later alleged that it contained Iranian influence content.
This incident highlights the risks faced by journalists who cover sensitive topics, particularly those related to Palestine and Israel. The lack of transparency and accountability from Big Tech companies can have severe consequences for independent media outlets and their contributors.
In a statement, Inlakesh expressed frustration at being labeled an "Iranian agent" without evidence: "You're basically saying I'm a foreign agent of Iran for working with an outlet; that's the implication. You have to provide some evidence for that. Where's your documentation?"
The incident raises questions about the role of Big Tech companies in shaping public discourse and the consequences of their actions on independent media outlets. As journalist Jillian York noted, "More labels, more warnings, less censorship" are needed to ensure that Palestinian content can stay up on these platforms.
Inlakesh's case is just one example of the broader issues facing journalists and media outlets in Palestine. The loss of footage and documentaries related to Israel and Palestine has a significant impact on the narrative around this conflict.
The situation highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability from Big Tech companies, particularly when it comes to censorship and moderation policies. As Mohsen Farshneshani, principal attorney at the Washington D.C.-based Sanctions Law Center, noted: "Deleting an entire account is far from what the statutes or the regulations ask of U.S. entities."
They're basically saying that just because someone has a history with Press TV, they're automatically connected to an Iranian influence campaign? No evidence, no explanation... it sounds like a witch hunt to me.
They're the ones who are often in the most vulnerable position, trying to report on sensitive topics without fear or reprisal. It's not right that they're being silenced by Big Tech companies.
. I mean, come on, Big Tech companies think they're above the law just because they're "protecting" us from "harmful" content? Newsflash: just because something might offend someone doesn't mean it's not worth sharing. And what's with this "Iranian influence campaign" nonsense? 
They can't even be bothered to provide evidence, and now Inlakesh is left unable to share his work? It's a total power grab, if you ask me 
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. And don't even get me started on Google deleting his accounts... that's just a whole other can of worms 
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. Anything less is just a cop-out.
. Deleting a journalist's YouTube account without warning and without evidence just because it's linked to Iran is a huge red flag for me. I mean, come on! You can't just label someone an "Iranian agent" without proof 
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. The fact that he's still unable to make a new Google account because of this situation is just ridiculous 
. I mean, he’s got a huge following and all that content he uploaded was independent journalism, you know? But then they label him an "Iranian agent" without any proof? That's just messed up 
. This just shows how vulnerable journalists are when it comes to these big tech companies and their censorship policies 
. More transparency needed, man 
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... otherwise, we'll never know what's really going on behind those closed doors 
. And for journalists like Inlakesh who are just trying to do their job, this is a nightmare 
. We need to hold these companies accountable for their actions 
!
like, how can u expect journalists 2 do their job if u cant share ur work 
anyways, this isnt the first time youtube's done this & google's been actin weird 4 years too 
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. And now he can't even make a new Google account? That's just frustrating 
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. Maybe he was just using it for nefarious purposes 
(just kidding, kind of).
this is so messed up YouTube basically shut down a journalist's channel just 'cause he worked for a state-owned media outlet like everyone else in the world 
on this:
i mean, come on guys, how do you know he was an "iranian agent" without some proof? like, what even is the criteria for this? and why did they delete his backup account too? that's just a slap in the face to the guy. google and youtube are basically dictating what we can say online... 
his content was all about exposing the truth, not promoting any kinda agenda or spam 
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. palestine is always portrayed as the underdog but what about jewish voices? shouldn't they be heard too? 
. it's not fair to just call him that and expect people to believe it 
. transparency is key here, youtube needs to step up their game 
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no evidence or warning whatsoever. its not fair to the ppl who depend on him for info 
And what's up with the constant back-and-forth between YouTube and Inlakesh? Can't they just provide some concrete proof of what he allegedly did wrong?! 
It's not just about one guy getting deleted; it's about the systemic issues that allow this kind of censorship to happen 
, because that's what this feels like for independent journalists like Robert Inlakesh - trapped by Big Tech companies' censorship policies. 
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