Following US takeover, TikTok bans Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has her TikTok account deleted, just days after American investors formally took control of the platform
GAZA (MNTV) – Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has had her TikTok account permanently deleted, just days after American investors formally took control of the platform.
Owda, 28, had amassed 1.4 million followers over four years by documenting daily life during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Her videos, which typically opened with the phrase “It’s Bisan from Gaza, and I’m still alive,” offered Western audiences a direct window into the displacement, destruction, and loss experienced by Palestinians.
Her work earned multiple awards, including a 2024 Emmy for documentary filmmaking.
The ban appears to be part of broader content restrictions following the ownership change.
Users have reported difficulties posting material critical of the Trump administration, and some have been unable to send messages containing certain terms.
TikTok’s management has attributed these issues to a data center outage, though California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched an investigation into possible censorship.
Owda pointed to comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called social media a crucial “battlefield” and described TikTok’s sale as a significant development.
The platform’s new stakeholders include Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, a major donor to Israeli causes and close associate of Netanyahu, as well as firms with ties to the Trump family.
TikTok’s new CEO Adam Presser previously oversaw policy changes that classified negative uses of the word “Zionist” as hate speech.
The platform has seen a sharp rise in user departures since the takeover, with daily deletions increasing by 150 percent.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands have migrated to UpScrolled, a new app launched by Palestinian-Australian developer Issam Hijazi as an alternative to platforms perceived as favoring pro-Zionist content.
Owda said she anticipated restrictions on her account but did not expect a permanent ban.
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