Abstract: The study examines the phenomenon of social media platforms transforming into a “ parallel legal authority ” that exerts influence beyond the scope of traditional national and international legal systems. It focuses on how this phenomenon has manifested in the context of the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, where widespread patterns of restricting content associated with the Palestinian narrative have emerged across various digital platforms .The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach based on a critical review of reports issued by human rights organisations and academic research documenting thousands of cases of content removal, restriction and algorithmic downranking of Palestinian content. The findings indicate that digital censorship is no longer merely a technical or administrative phenomenon; rather, it has evolved into a parallel legal system that performs legislative, executive and judicial functions within the networked space, without grounding in clear political legitimacy or legal accountability. Digital platforms have moved beyond the stage of “ content moderation ” to become a normative authority that reshapes the concepts of freedom, responsibility and justice in the digital environment. Accordingly, digital censorship does not operate as a neutral technical procedure; instead, it plays a structural role in shaping the broader epistemic sphere through opaque algorithmic mechanisms that reorder the visibility of information and marginalise certain narratives. In this sense, these platforms contribute to what may be described as “ epistemic annihilation ” , leading to the emergence of a parallel power structure operating outside traditional legal frameworks. The study therefore recommends the development of international accountability frameworks and independent oversight mechanisms to enhance transparency, safeguard digital justice and protect the right of peoples to narrate their own stories. Keywords: Digital Censorship, Parallel Authority, Algorithmic Control, Epistemicide, Palestine.
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