Washington DC - Senator Elizabeth Warren on Thursday sent a letter to Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg demanding information about reported censorship of pro-Palestinian content on social media platforms.

"Amidst the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, a humanitarian catastrophe including the deaths of thousands of civilians in Gaza, and the killing of dozens of journalists, it is more important than ever that social media platforms do not censor truthful and legitimate content, particularly as people around the world turn to online communities to share and find information about developments in the region," Warren wrote in the letter, first reported by The Intercept.

Instagram users have relayed hundreds of cases of posts about Palestine being removed without explanation and accounts being suspended.

Meta previously said these removals were the result of glitches in its systems.

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A 2021 study found, however, that Meta has a history of violating Palestinian civil rights through censoring posts related to Israeli state violence.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Meta's "temporary risk response measure" automatically flagged content related to Palestine at a higher rate, and that the company had reduced the threshold for removal from 80% certainty that the content violates its policy to 25% for users in Palestine after October 7.

"Reports of Meta’s suppression of Palestinian voices raise serious questions about Meta’s content moderation practices and anti-discrimination protections," Warren wrote. "Social media users deserve to know when and why their accounts and posts are restricted, particularly on the largest platforms where vital information-sharing occurs."

"Social media communications are vital sources of news from the ground, particularly given widespread communications blackouts, ongoing misinformation and information war efforts, and the killing of over 60 journalists and media workers in Gaza. Social media users also play a critical role in recording human rights violations and war crimes," she added.

The Massachusetts Democrat went on to pose a series of questions to Meta about its content moderation policy and procedure, particularly for users in the Palestinian Territories.

Zuckerberg has until January 5 to provide a response.