Meta has banned social justice activist Shaun King from Instagram, and he claims his account was disabled because he posted support for Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.
King, known for his social media advocacy on movements such as Black Lives Matter, had a following of more than 5 million users before his account on the Meta-owned platform was removed on Christmas Eve.
“The account was disabled due to multiple instances of praise for designated entities in violation of our policies,” a Meta spokesperson wrote in an email.
The spokesperson did not specify King’s violations, although Meta has come under scrutiny since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel for its Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy, which states that its platforms do not permit “praise, substantive support and representation of various dangerous organizations and individuals.”
A Human Rights Watch report this month urged Meta to overhaul this policy, pointing to a series of “flaws” in its enforcement. The organization analyzed patterns of “heightened censorship” around content supporting Palestinians, citing user reports of Meta removing their posts or restricting their access to certain Instagram and Facebook features.
On Monday, King posted a video and statement on his Facebook page claiming the platform banned him for “fighting for Palestine” online.
“I am told by my sources inside of Meta that they are tracking my IP address and will delete anything I say anywhere I say it,” King wrote on Facebook, which is also owned by Meta.
He added that he plans to take every measure available to get himself back on Instagram.
“I formally appealed the night of the suspension, but have also now retained attorneys to proceed with the Civil Rights Division of the legal team at Meta,” King wrote in an email to NBC News Tuesday.
In his Facebook statement, he wrote that he is “safe” and that he had hoped his Instagram platform would serve as a cover for Palestinians who “cannot afford to lose their accounts” by documenting their plight within Gaza and the West Bank.
“I refuse to betray my values and principles by staying silent about this genocide and the war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank,” he wrote. “You can NEVER mince words about genocide. You can never mince words about war crimes. You MUST speak truth to power every way you know how.”
He said he feared Meta would further retaliate against Palestinians.
Many on Facebook commented their support under his post. But others online were more critical, and even some pro-Palestinian activists celebrated his account's removal.
King has been a controversial figure online, having faced repeated accusations of failing to deliver money he raised to the intended recipients. He has also faced allegations of lying about his biracial background, accusations he denied in a 2015 essay.
Some on X resurfaced the hashtag #BlockShaunKing, which first trended on the platform more than two years ago after Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice, and Lisa Simpson, mother of Richard Risher, called him out for “monopolizing and capitalizing [on]” the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I support Palestine. I do not support Shaun King,” one X user posted to more than 4,000 likes. The user added in a reply: “I understand the role he has played in showcasing information coming from Palestine, but I do not believe his intentions were pure, and I do believe intentions matter with regards to doing this kind of work.”
Another user wrote on X: “The best Christmas gift I could imagine is Shaun King getting deleted from the internet. He is not the hill anyone should die on. Follow actual Palestinians. Follow actual Black people. Let’s not take known grifters into the new year, thanks!”
