Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist’s TikTok Account Reinstated Amid Recommendation Changes

Emmy-winning Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda says her TikTok account was restored several hours after she posted a video alleging the platform had banned her. Speaking to Al Jazeera, she stated she regained access but needed to type in her full username to find it on the app. She also received a message from TikTok stating that many of her posts were now “ineligible for recommendation.”

Owda highlighted TikTok’s importance as more widely used among young people and less restrictive than platforms like Instagram. Addressing youth, she said they are crucial for the future and their rights. Owda expressed concern about the potential exploitation if these groups do not understand anything.

She noted that “Israeli propaganda” had successfully spread the country’s narrative globally for 76 years. However, independent reporting on social media has made people realize the reality of the situation. She criticized those who “don’t say the truth, don’t resist, and fight back for our rights and lives” as having no option.

Owda’s TikTok account was visible to images but not posts after September 2025. On her Instagram, she announced deleting the account: “It’s banned forever.” She had spent four years building that platform.

The journalist attributed the ban to statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding greater influence over the platform. The PM mentioned during a talk with American influencers in September that TikTok was “the most important purchase” and its control could be “consequential.”

Anadolu Agency reported this while noting Netanyahu also said it, adding he was overseeing “over two dozen Jewish organizations.” Owda attached videos from Adam Presser, TikTok’s newly appointed CEO in the US. He said the platform had banned the term “Zionist” as hate speech.

That day, Owda announced joining Palestinian-owned social media app UpScrolled. This app is gaining popularity as a censorship-free alternative to platforms like TikTok. The Council on American-Islamic Relations praised it for protecting free speech amidst TikTok’s “censorship spree.”