NEW YORK: A former Meta engineer on Tuesday accused the company of bias in its handling of content related to the war in Gaza, claiming in a lawsuit that Meta fired him for trying to help fix bugs causing the suppression of Palestinian Instagram posts.
Ferras Hamad, a Palestinian-American engineer who had been on Meta’s machine learning team since 2021, sued the social media giant in a California state court for discrimination, wrongful termination and other wrongdoing over his February dismissal.
In the complaint, Hamad accused Meta of a pattern of bias against Palestinians, saying the company deleted internal employee communications that mentioned the deaths of their relatives in Gaza and conducted investigations into their use of the Palestinian flag emoji.
The company launched no such investigations for employees posting Israeli or Ukrainian flag emojis in similar contexts, according to the lawsuit.
Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Hamad’s allegations.
Hamad’s claims reflect long-standing criticisms by human rights groups over Meta’s performance moderating the content posted to its platforms about Israel and the Palestinian territories, including in an external investigation the company commissioned in 2021.
Conflict erupted in Gaza after Hamas militants attacked inside Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 people hostage according to Israeli tallies. Israel in response launched an offensive in Gaza that has killed more then 36,000 people, according to Gaza health officials, and triggered a humanitarian crisis.
Since the outbreak of war last year, the company has faced accusations that it was suppressing expressions of support for Palestinians living amid the war.
Nearly 200 Meta employees raised similar concerns in an open letter to Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and other leaders earlier this year.
Hamad said his firing appeared to stem from an incident in December involving an emergency procedure designed to troubleshoot severe problems with the company’s platforms, known within Meta as a SEV or “site event.”
He had noted procedural irregularities in the handling of an SEV related to restrictions on content posted by Palestinian Instagram personalities that prevented the posts from appearing in searches and feeds, the complaint said.
In one case, the complaint alleged, he found that a short video posted by Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza had been misclassified as pornographic even though it showed a destroyed building in Gaza.
Hamad said he received conflicting guidance from other employees about the status of the SEV and whether he was authorized to help resolve it, though he had worked on similarly sensitive SEVs before, including ones related to Israel, Gaza and Ukraine. His manager later confirmed in writing that the SEV was part of his job function, he said.
The next month, after a Meta representative told him he was the subject of an investigation, Hamad filed an internal discrimination complaint and days later was fired, he said.
Hamad said Meta told him he was fired for violating a policy barring employees from working on issues with accounts of people they know personally, referring to Azaiza, the photojouralist. Hamad said he had no personal connection to Azaiza.
Former Meta engineer sues company saying he was fired over handling of Gaza content
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Former Meta engineer sues company saying he was fired over handling of Gaza content
- Ferras Hamad accused Meta of firing him for trying to help fix bugs causing the suppression of Palestinian Instagram posts
- The engineer also alleged that company deleted internal communications mentioning Gaza’s deaths, Palestinian flag emoji
Jeddah communication conference explores anime’s digital evolution
- The session focused on anime’s shift from traditional television broadcasts and DVDs to digital platforms, including live streaming, instant subtitling and cloud-based production
RIYADH: The eighth session of the Digital Communication Conference, titled “Anime in the Digital Space,” explored the transformation of Japanese anime over the past two decades, highlighting the impact of digital innovation and the internet.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the session focused on anime’s shift from traditional television broadcasts and DVDs to digital platforms, including live streaming, instant subtitling and cloud-based production.
Streaming giants such as Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Funimation were highlighted as pivotal players in the transition, offering translated or dubbed episodes immediately upon release and funding original series such as “Devilman Crybaby” and “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.”
Speakers in the session, including Manga Productions CEO Essam Bukhary, said that social media and online forums have opened the door to unprecedented engagement among fans, as well as community and cultural interaction, since audiences now take part in evaluating episodes.
Concerns were raised that heavy dependence on technology could erode the handcrafted aesthetic that defines traditional anime.
Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning interest in manga and anime, which dates back to the 1970s, is helping to usher in a revolution in cultural production.
Japanese art forms have captivated audiences of all ages, gaining significant popularity in recent years. Their ability to combine entertainment, culture and education has made them of great interest to Saudi society.
To support this interest, the General Entertainment Authority has hosted events like the Saudi Anime Expo, drawing international visitors.
In line with these efforts, the ministries of culture and education launched the Manga Education program to nurture student talent, as well as integrate arts and culture into public education.
Israel arrests veteran Palestinian journalist in West Bank
- Ali Al-Samoudi’s family denies claims of links to Islamic Jihad
- Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemns reporter’s arrest
DUBAI: Israeli forces arrested prominent Palestinian journalist Ali Al-Samoudi during an overnight raid on Tuesday in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, according to media reports.
Al-Quds newspaper correspondent Al-Samoudi, 58, was detained after the Israeli military raided and searched up his home in Al-Zahraa neighborhood, destroying “some of its contents”.
According to the military, he is accused of having ties with the militant Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization and transferring funds to the group. However, the military did not provide evidence to support the claim.
After he was interrogated at a disclosed location, Al-Samoudi was transferred to an Israeli hospital due to his health deteriorating, his son Mohammed told the BBC.
His family, who denies the accusations, was not informed of the name of the hospital where he was being treated, or any other details.
Al-Samoudi previously survived an attack by Israeli forces in 2022, the same assault that killed prominent Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was a correspondent for Al-Jazeera.
Al-Samoudi was shot and wounded in his back.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned Al-Samoudi’s arrest in a statement on Tuesday.
As of April 30, 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists has documented 79 arrests of journalists by Israel in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza since Oct. 7 war began, in addition to five other arrests by the Palestinian authorities.
Forty-nine of these journalists, including the five held by Palestinian authorities, have since been released, while 35 remain under arrest.
The CPJ’s preliminary investigations also showed at least 176 journalists and media staff were killed during Israel’s war on Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon, marking the deadliest period for journalists in the region.
Houthi drone strike kills Yemeni-Dutch journalist, injures brother, says media watchdog
- Musab Al-Hattami killed, brother Suhaib wounded working on documentary project in Marib
LONDON: A Yemeni-Dutch journalist has been killed and his brother injured in a drone strike carried out by Iran-backed Houthi forces near the central Yemeni city of Marib, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Musab Al-Hattami, a journalist and filmmaker, was killed on Saturday while filming a documentary in his family’s hometown. His brother, photographer Suhaib Al-Hattami, sustained serious injuries in the same attack, the US-based media watchdog said on Monday while condemning the strike.
Sara Qudah, regional director of the CPJ, said: “The killing of Musab Al-Hattami is yet another stark reminder to the international community that the warring parties in Yemen are violating international law by killing civilians. Such indiscriminate violence exposes all journalists, who are brave enough to document the war in Yemen, to extreme risk.
“We call on the international community to investigate the attack and hold those responsible to account.”
أي وجع نستقبل هذا المساء ، مصعب الحطامي شهيد في جبهة مأرب ، أي قهر يزيدنا كرهاً للحوثي وزبانيته ، بعد عشر سنوات غربة عاد من هولندا لزيارة أسرته وقرر عمل أفلام قصيرة من الجبهة فكانت له الشهادة بطائرة مسيرة حوثية.
— بسيم الجناني Basem Ganani (@Basem_Ganani) April 26, 2025
مصعب شقيق الروح لا أزور هولندا إلا ويكون في إستقبالي ، وعدني بزيارة… pic.twitter.com/eWcbW1LD75
The Al-Hattami brothers had recently returned to Yemen from the Netherlands to report on the ongoing civil war and were working on a documentary project about their parents’ hometown when the strike occurred.
According to Dutch media outlet RTL, Houthi forces targeted the area with grenades and drones while the brothers were filming. Musab Al-Hattami and three government soldiers were killed, while Suhaib was seriously wounded.
Musab Al-Hattami, who had moved to the Netherlands after studying film in Jordan, held Dutch citizenship. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his death and said he was buried in Marib on Monday.
He is the 20th journalist to be killed in Yemen since 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition launched military operations against Houthi rebels who had seized the capital, Sanaa.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula announced in December 2024 it had executed 11 individuals, including Yemeni journalist Mohamed Al-Maqri, who had been abducted in 2015 and accused of spying. At least 18 journalists were killed in Yemen between 2015 and 2020.
15 media workers killed in Gaza 2025: Palestinian Journalists Syndicate
- Syndicate’s latest report documents rise in Israeli arrests, threats, harassment of journalists
LONDON: At least 15 media workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of 2025, according to a new report released by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
The report, published over the weekend by the syndicate’s freedoms committee, which monitors Israeli violations against journalists, highlighted the continued direct targeting of media workers.
Seven journalists were killed in January and eight in March, the report stated.
In addition, family members of 17 journalists were killed, while 12 reporters’ homes were destroyed by rocket and shell attacks, with 11 injured in the assaults.
The report noted that violence against media crews extended beyond fatal attacks. It documented the arrest of 15 journalists, either at their homes or while on assignment. Some were released within hours or days, while others remain in detention.
The syndicate also recorded 49 death threats issued against journalists, many of whom were warned to evacuate the areas they were covering.
Legal harassment intensified as well, with the report citing over 10 cases in which journalists — mostly from the West Bank-based Al-Quds newspaper — were summoned for interrogation and banned from reporting near Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem’s Old City.
In the occupied West Bank, approximately 117 journalists faced physical assaults, repression, or reporting bans, particularly in Jenin and Jerusalem. The committee also documented 16 cases of work equipment being confiscated or destroyed.
The violence against journalists comes amid a renewed Israeli military campaign in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire deal with Hamas. Israeli forces have intensified their offensive, cutting off vital supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, leaving the enclave on the brink of famine.
Israel’s actions are now the subject of hearings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where Tel Aviv faces accusations of violating international law by restricting humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The humanitarian toll has been devastating.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 61,700 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 14,000 others are missing and presumed dead, with civilians making up the vast majority of casualties.
Washington-based press watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists, has also raised alarm over the scale of media worker deaths, reporting that at least 176 journalists — almost all Palestinian — have been killed since Israel launched its assault on the Occupied Territories.
Al Majalla sets new benchmark for regional visual journalism with 13 wins at design awards
- Arab News’ sister publication received 13 international honors at the Society of News Design’s 46th Best of News Design Creative Competition, including a prestigious Bronze Medal
RIYADH: Al Majalla has earned 13 international honors at the Society of News Design’s (SND) 46th Best of News Design Creative Competition, including a prestigious Bronze Medal.
The awards, judged by a global panel of 42 visual journalists, recognize the most outstanding journalism and design work published worldwide in 2024. Nearly 5,000 entries were submitted to the 46th annual creative competition, with Al Majalla’s work honored alongside leading international titles such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, and National Geographic.
Among the honors, Al Majalla received a Bronze Medal — a distinction awarded to visual storytelling that goes “beyond excellence,” demonstrating an elevated level of aesthetic execution, creativity, or degree of difficulty. The recognition was granted for a body of work focused on the special topic of conflict in the Middle East.
“This achievement reflects our commitment to credible, in-depth journalism, and to presenting it in a way that resonates with global audiences,” said Al Majalla Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Hamidi. “This is just one step in our broader transformation journey — one that aims to center thoughtful reporting, bold editorial choices, and design-led storytelling at the core of our work.”
In addition to the Bronze Medal, Al Majalla received 12 Awards of Excellence across categories including page design, illustration, animation, and special topics such as elections and drug-related issues in the Arab world. These awards are reserved for work that pushes the boundaries of traditional media through daring, innovative storytelling.
“This is a recognition of the collaborative energy and bold thinking our team has brought to the table,” said Creative Director Sara Loane. “We’re reimagining how Arab journalism can look and feel — modern, intentional, and visually impactful.”
This is a standout moment that reflects not only creative excellence but also the momentum behind Al Majalla’s editorial evolution. It underscores Al Majalla’s place in SRMG’s wider digital evolution, where innovation and substance go hand in hand to redefine how journalism engages and endures.
