Palestinian-American Files Lawsuit Against Meta Over Alleged Speech Discrimination on Platform
A lawsuit filed by Ferras Hamad, a Meta engineer responsible for reviewing Instagram content filters regarding conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, claims that he was fired due to his Palestinian background and for raising concerns over the company's handling of a renowned Palestinian war photographer's Instagram account.
The lawsuit showcases how the discord surrounding the Gaza conflict not only manifests on social media but also within the organizations that manage these online platforms, according to Hamad.
"The employee was dismissed for violating Meta's data access policies, which we clearly inform our staff will result in immediate termination," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement to CNN.
According to the complaint, filed on Tuesday at the California state court in Santa Clara County, the aforementioned photographer's account with over 17 million followers had been inappropriately tagged as pornographic.
When Hamad notified his colleagues concerning this matter towards the end of last year, he allegedly started to receive pressure from Meta employees outside of his team, urging him to back off the investigation.
To comprehend the photographer's predicament, Hamad claims to have followed the instructions for resolving such issues, including examining the publicly viewable posts of the user.
Subsequent to conducting an employment investigation, Hamad was suddenly fired without warning, the lawsuit states, with Meta allegedly asserting that Hamad had violated the company's user-data access policies even though his supervisor and Meta's security department affirmed there had been no breach of policy.
This dismissal occurred against the background of other instances of alleged company bias against pro-Palestinian statements, Hamad alleges. Among these are: instances where Meta supposedly deleted employees' posts related to deaths in Gaza; mentions of Palestinian refugees in an internal forum on refugee support; and an internal missive from employees to Meta's top brass expressing worries about Meta's moderation of content pertaining to Palestinians, Muslims, and Arabs, as described in the complaint.
The lawsuit also cites a December 2023 report by Human Rights Watch outlining claims that Meta overly suppressed nonviolent pro-Palestinian speech.
Hamad asserts in the suit that he was targeted, examined, and fired because he was of Palestinian descent or Muslim, and was probing a significant issue regarding one of the most famous Palestinian photojournalists during the Gaza conflict.
The lawsuit charges Meta with unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination, urging a jury trial to assess the damages Hamad experienced, which include lost income and benefits, as well as lost job opportunities and mental strain.
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In response to the allegations, Meta might need to address concerns about potential tech-related biases within their business operations, particularly regarding content moderation related to Palestinians and Muslims.
The lawsuit highlights potential issues of tech discrimination within Meta's business operations, which could have implications for the company's operations and public perception in the tech industry.
