Israeli authorities are preparing to pass a controversial Incitement on Social Media Bill, commonly known as the “Facebook bill,” in a move that threatens to escalate online censorship during heightened tensions with Palestinians. The bill, which allows the Israeli government to remove content they believe constitutes “incitement” or “causes harm” from social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, goes further than similar laws seen elsewhere. It allows the Israeli authorities to block content on all websites, including news sites, subjecting them to the same regulations as social media platforms. It will also grant the Israeli general attorney the power to use secret evidence in court to remove content, and prevent content creators from defending themselves and their work. “This is an unprecedented infringement on freedom of expression,” said one social media user. This is an unprecedented infringement on freedom of expression. https://t.co/7p14caw7Jr — Justice4OntBDS (@Justice4BDS_Ont) July 20, 2022 Another called out Israel’s hypocrisy, saying that: “If they had nothing to hide they wouldn’t take such drastic measures.” If they had nothing to hide they wouldn"t take such drastic measures. https://t.co/HvCx8LNAYw — keelhauled immigrant (@ManFacingSE) July 20, 2022 The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation unanimously approved the bill in December last year, a move that experts believe will transform the relationship between Israeli authorities and social media platforms. Nadim Nashif, founder and director of digital rights organization 7amleh, highlighted in an op-ed that the bill “will be used to silence activists and journalists reporting on Israeli human rights violations, as Israel’s vague laws surrounding incitement are already used to infringe on freedom of speech, and criminalise Palestinian journalists and activists who report on the ground and post online about Israeli violations. “The far-reaching ability to block news websites extends the censorship powers of the Israeli authorities, in a manner that goes beyond democratic principles regarding freedom of speech and diversity of opinion,” Nashif wrote. While passing this bill constitutes a severe blow to Palestinian’s freedom of speech, it is not new nor uncommon. During last year’s attacks on Gaza, Facebook and Instagram removed hundreds of posts related to Palestine. 7amleh documented more than 700 cases of Palestinian digital rights violations, of which 500 cases took place between May 6-19 alone. At the time, Facebook claimed the issue was technical rather than political, pointing out that during the recent conflict, the tech giant dedicated a whole team, including both Arabic and Hebrew speakers, to monitor the situation on the ground and remove harmful content. However, while 7amleh found the efforts by social media to limit future violations of users’ digital rights were significant, it claimed such efforts did not go far enough.