Organization:Tech for Palestine

From HandWiki
Tech for Palestine
AbbreviationT4P
Formation2023
Key people
Paul Biggar
Websitetechforpalestine.org

Tech for Palestine (T4P) is a coalition of technologists, digital rights organizations, and advocacy groups who engage with issues related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through technology. Activities under this effort include internal organizing by employees in technology companies, public campaigns, and support for Palestinian access to digital tools and infrastructure.[1][2] Tech for Palestine was founded in the wake of the October 7 attacks and the ongoing Gaza war.[1]

Background

Tech for Palestine was founded by a group of over 40 technologists in January 2024.[3][4] It is run by Paul Biggar,[5] a co-founder of the tech company CircleCI and Darklang.[6][7] Biggar was dismissed from the board of CircleCl following the blog post where he chastised industry leaders for "actively cheering on genocide".[8][7]

Since Biggar launched the project, Tech for Palestine has grown from a small community of tech workers organized on the social media platform Discord to a nonprofit that employs five full-time Palestinian engineers and supports over 70 projects.[7] Biggar has compared his Tech for Palestine project to the advocacy for African Americans in the Black Lives Matter movement.[9]

Activities

Tech for Palestine has created web tools such as GitHub badges and site banners related to calls for a ceasefire and maintains a database of Israeli companies and venture capital firms. One of their projects, "Boycottech", is a website that lists Israeli technology companies in the context of boycott campaigns.[3][10] Companies on Tech for Palestine's boycott list include Fireblocks, Monday, Wiz, and eToro.[5]

Tech for Palestine also collaborates with former tech employees and offers opportunities for workers and students to organize.[11] The group runs the T4P Incubator, which coordinates volunteer involvement and provides organizational support to over 20 tech-related initiatives.[12][13]

UpScrolled

The T4P incubator backs UpScrolled, a social media platform launched in 2025, and as of January 29, 2026, the most downloaded social media application in the Apple App Store.[14][15] So far the app has surpassed 2.5 million users globally and is billed as an alternative to Meta Platforms and TikTok where shadow banning of users sympathetic to the Palestinian cause is an alleged issue.[11][16][17] UpScrolled does not include Israel as an option in its location selection menu. Cities such as Tel Aviv are included under "Occupied Territories of Palestine", and Palestine can also be set as the location.[18][19]

Notable users of the app include political activist Guy Christensen, Drop Site News, and Mondoweiss.[20] According to the Global Network on Extremism & Technology, far-right and extremist content is prevalent on the platform where it is gaining popularity with individuals espousing neo-Nazi views.[21] The Forward has said that hashtags related to conspiracy theories involving the Holocaust and blood libels such as Jews drinking the blood of children are also prevalent, with limited moderation of the social media platform.[22] UpScrolled's policies prohibit threats, glorification of harm or support for terrorist or violent groups. UpScrolled founder Issam Hijazi said harmful content was being uploaded to UpScrolled and the company had expanded its content moderation team and upgraded its technology infrastructure to deal with the issue.[18]

In early 2026, the Palestine Chronicle announced that they would be joining UpScrolled based on claims of being censored on TikTok.[23]

Boycat

Another project is Boycat, an app and browser extension that helps users identify products and companies that make money from "human rights abuses in Palestine".[7][24] Boycat also has expanded into developing alternative tools and platforms, including a VPN described by the project's founder as "clean technology", which is built independently of the Israeli tech sector.[25] T4P also serves as an organizational hub, connecting project leaders with volunteers through platforms like Discord and GitHub.[5][26][16]

Wikipedia

In 2024, Tech for Palestine had a workgroup on editing Wikipedia.[27][28] Zei Squirrel, a popular Twitter account, put out an announcement on the social media platform in April 2024 to "coordinate action on countering Zionist propaganda lies with facts on Wikipedia", which linked to the Tech for Palestine Discord server. That October, a person responding to the Zei Squirrel account said the efforts had "zero effect".[28]

Tech for Palestine's initial campaign worked in coordinating the editing of over 100 articles on Wikipedia.[29] In May 2025, several editors connected to the Tech for Palestine Discord server were banned from editing due to the coordination efforts from the server.[30][31] Researcher Shlomit Aharoni Lir (he) claims that Tech for Palestine has obtained a monopoly over the processes for voting on and approving entries on Wikipedia, including passing a rule within Wikipedia that gives it an advantage over editing sensitive entries about Israel, Palestine, and related subjects like Zionism[32][33] and that Tech for Palestine is partially responsible for editing the Reliable Sources Noticeboard on the platform, including getting the Anti-Defamation League demoted as a reliable source for information about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[32][33][34] According to The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, there was also a team that coordinated editing campaigns on the French Wikipedia.[35]

Critics of Tech for Palestine have accused it of trying to hijack Wikipedia to include information favorable to Palestine. Critics of Israel have accused it of mobilizing its own team of editors to hijack Wikipedia in order to include information favorable to Israel.[36]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Davis, Dominic-Madori (2024-01-02). "Tech for Palestine launches to provide tools to help support Palestinians" (in en-US). https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/02/tech-for-palestine-launches-to-provide-tools-and-projects-to-help-advocate-for-palestinians/. 
  2. ↑ "'Tech for Palestine' initiative launched to support Palestinians" (in en). 2024-01-04. https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/tech-palestine-initiative-launched-support-palestinians-3510791. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Tech for Palestine Coalition Launched To Support Palestine" (in en). https://en.incarabia.com/tech-for-palestine-coalition-launched-to-support-palestine-628786.html. 
  4. ↑ The New Arab Staff. "Tech for Palestine: New group to help workers speak on Gaza" (in en-EN). The New Arab. https://www.newarab.com/news/tech-palestine-new-group-help-workers-speak-gaza. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 ""Tech for Palestine": 40 Technologists band together to support besieged Palestine" (in en-IN). The Hindu. 2024-01-03. ISSN 0971-751X. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/technologists-band-together-to-support-besieged-palestine/article67701252.ece. 
  6. ↑ Wiggers, Kyle (7 April 2020). "CircleCI raises $100 million for automated app testing and deployment". VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/2020/04/07/circleci-100-million-automate-app-testing-and-deployment/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 SSIR. "Technology Against Genocide (SSIR)" (in en-us). https://ssir.org/articles/entry/tech-against-genocide. 
  8. ↑ Pratt, Timothy (2024-12-03). "'Progressive except for Palestine': how a tech charity imploded over a statement on Gaza" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/03/tech-industry-gaza-palestine. 
  9. ↑ Ansari, Tasmia (January 31, 2024). "Paul Biggar Breaks Silence on Big Tech's Palestine Stance" (in en). https://analyticsindiamag.com/ai-features/paul-biggar-breaks-silence-on-big-techs-palestine-stance. 
  10. ↑ "Tech For Palestine Launches and Unveils Several Tools for Palestinian Solidarity" (in en). 2024-01-03. https://muslimtechwire.com/tech-for-palestine-launches. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Khan, Khadeejah (2026-04-03). "How Gaza Broke Big Tech's Campus Pipeline" (in en-US). ISSN 0027-8378. https://www.thenation.com/?post_type=article&p=593043. 
  12. ↑ Bhuiyan, Johana (2025-01-02). "Halal tech: how Muslim-friendly websites and apps blossomed in 2024" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/01/muslim-friendly-websites-apps. 
  13. ↑ Hussain, Shaik Zakeer (2024-10-07). "Tech for Palestine Launches Incubator for Pro-Palestinian Tech Initiatives" (in en-GB). https://barakahinsider.com/tech-for-palestine-launches-incubator-for-pro-palestinian-tech-initiatives/. 
  14. ↑ Chandran, Rina (2026-01-28). "Meet UpScrolled, the anti-censorship TikTok alternative" (in en-US). https://restofworld.org/2026/upscrolled-tiktok-competitor-palestine-censorship/. 
  15. ↑ "What’s UpScrolled, the app gaining popularity after TikTok’s US takeover?" (in en). https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/29/whats-upscrolled-the-app-gaining-popularity-after-tiktoks-us-takeover. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Tech for Palestine founder: Upscrolled’s boom shows a way forward for ethical tech" (in en-US). https://www.thedrum.com/news/tech-for-palestine-founder-upscrolled-s-boom-shows-a-way-forward-for-ethical-tech. 
  17. ↑ Alice, Gibbs (2026-01-26). "TikTok Outage Sparks Search for Alternatives". https://www.newsweek.com/upscrolled-app-gains-interest-tiktok-outage-11416480. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Sellman, Mark (2026-02-10). "TikTok rival UpScrolled hosts antisemitic and pro-terrorism content" (in en-GB). https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/upscrolled-social-media-app-moderation-antisemitic-pro-terror-z9kq6nzfp. 
  19. ↑ Zbeedat, Nagham (2026-02-02). "App Founded by Palestinian Entrepreneur Enjoys Uptick in Users as TikTok Frustration Grows". https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/2026-02-02/ty-article-magazine/.premium/app-founded-by-palestinian-enjoys-uptick-in-users-as-tiktok-frustration-grows/0000019c-0527-dd8c-a1de-4ff780c50000. 
  20. ↑ Lax, Chaim (2026-02-03). "UpScrolled: The New Social Media App For Haters and Antisemites" (in en-US). https://honestreporting.com/upscrolled-the-new-social-media-app-for-haters-and-antisemites/. 
  21. ↑ Allen, Kye (2026-03-25). "Rapid Growth, Emerging Risks: Far Right Violent Extremist Content on UpScrolled" (in en-GB). https://gnet-research.org/2026/03/25/rapid-growth-emerging-risks-far-right-violent-extremist-content-on-upscrolled/. 
  22. ↑ Eshman, Rob (2026-02-14). "UpScrolled is a social media haven for unspeakable antisemitism. How does that help Palestinians?" (in en). https://forward.com/opinion/805207/upscrolled-antisemitism/. 
  23. ↑ Romana, Rubeo (2026-01-29). "Palestine Chronicle Joins UpScrolled amid Crackdown on Palestinian Content – Join Us". https://www.palestinechronicle.com/palestine-chronicle-joins-upscrolled-amid-crackdown-on-palestinian-content-join-us/. 
  24. ↑ Reporter, Shaima Sheriff/Staff (2026-02-08). "Palestine-focused incubator, GCC talent bridge unveiled at Web Summit Qatar" (in en). https://www.gulf-times.com/article/720120/qatar/palestine-focused-incubator-gcc-talent-bridge-unveiled-at-web-summit-qatar. 
  25. ↑ Ullah, Areeb (2025-10-07). "How Israel's war in Gaza changed big tech". https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/how-gaza-changed-big-tech. 
  26. ↑ "Palestine boycott list" (in en). 2024-12-27. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethical-campaigns-boycotts/palestine-boycott-list. 
  27. ↑ Deutch, Gabby (2024-06-26). "Inside the war over Israel at Wikipedia" (in en-US). https://jewishinsider.com/2024/06/wikipediai-israeli-palestinian-conflict-zionism-adl-encyclopedia/. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Murphy, Margi (2025-03-07). "'Edit Wars' on Middle East Page Raise Tensions on Wikipedia". https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-07/wikipedia-editors-struggle-to-moderate-conflict-in-gaza. 
  29. ↑ "Pro-Palestine edits trigger Wikipedia action" (in en). 2024-12-12. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-833180. 
  30. ↑ Bandler, Aaron (2025-05-05). "Wikipedia’s Supreme Court Bans Two Editors for Offsite Misconduct in Israel-Palestine Topic Area" (in en-US). https://jewishjournal.com/news/worldwide/381221/wikipedias-supreme-court-bans-two-editors-for-offsite-misconduct-in-israel-palestine-topic-area/. 
  31. ↑ "Arabic Wikipedia launches competition for Palestinian-related articles" (in en). 2025-05-22. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-855089. 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Feuer, Dror (2026-04-26). "Wikipedia has become a battlefield, and Israel is losing the fight" (in en). Ynetglobal. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/s1mrhostze. 
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lir, Shlomit Aharoni (2025). The English Wikipedia as an Arena of the Anti-Israeli Struggle (Report). Institute for National Security Studies. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep72934. 
  34. ↑ "Thirty editors are altering Wikipedia articles with antisemitic bias" (in en). 2025-03-18. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-846563. 
  35. ↑ Bandler, Aaron (2025-01-28). "French Journalist Exposes Anti-Israel Club Training French Wikipedia Editors" (in en-US). https://jewishjournal.com/news/worldwide/378774/french-journalist-exposes-anti-israel-club-training-french-wikipedia-editors/. 
  36. ↑ Harrison, Stephen (2025-02-05). "Project 2025's Creators Want to Dox Wikipedia Editors. The Tool They're Using Is Horrifying." (in en-US). Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. https://slate.com/technology/2025/02/wikipedia-project-2025-heritage-foundation-doxing-editors-antisemitism.html. 



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Organization:Tech_for_Palestine&oldid=4372123"