Tech for Palestine

Last updated

Tech for Palestine
AbbreviationT4P
Formation2023
Key people
Paul Biggar
Website techforpalestine.org

Tech for Palestine (T4P) is a coordinated effort involving 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]

Contents

Background

Tech for Palestine was founded by Paul Biggar, a co-founder of the tech company CircleCI, [3] three months following the October 7 attacks. [4] [5] It began following a December 2023 blog post by Biggar titled “I Can't Sleep,” reflecting his view that tech-industry voices, though often socially progressive, were not favorable to Gaza. [6] [7] Biggar was dismissed from the board of his company following the blog post. [7]

According to a Twitter/X post from the group about itself, it emphasizes using technology to "disrupt conventional narratives, capture systems of power, and accelerate pro‑Palestinian organizing and public awareness". [8] [9]

Activities

Boycottech website and database

Tech for Palestine launched web tools including GitHub badges and site banners calling for a ceasefire and maintains a database of Israeli companies and venture capital firms. One of their projects include "Boycottech", which is a website that calls for boycotts of Israeli tech companies. [10] [11]

The T4P incubator

The T4P Incubator provides volunteer time, mentorship, marketing support, and ecosystem connections to over 20 advocacy-focused tech initiatives. Some initiatives include ethics.vc, findaprotest.info, Apricot (a job platform for Palestinians), and Pal‑Chat (an AI chatbot giving historical and legal context). [12] [13]

Collaboration

T4P acts as an organizational hub, connecting project leaders with volunteers via platforms like Discord and GitHub. [14] [15]

Wikipedia editing campaign

Tech for Palestine was alleged by Pirate Wires to be involved in a coordinated campaign to edit targeted articles on Wikipedia. [16] Pirate Wires said that the behavior it objected to was termed "canvassing" and said that, "Pro-Hamas editors pushed pro-Palestinian propaganda on the online encyclopedia. They did so by erasing key facts about Hamas and reframing the narrative around Israel." [17]

References

  1. 1 2 Davis, Dominic-Madori (January 2, 2024). "Tech for Palestine launches to provide tools to help support Palestinians". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on May 27, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  2. "'Tech for Palestine' initiative launched to support Palestinians". The Daily Star . Bangladesh. January 4, 2024. Archived from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  3. Wiggers, Kyle (April 7, 2020). "CircleCI raises $100 million for automated app testing and deployment". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  4. "Tech for Palestine Coalition Launched To Support Palestine". Inc. Arabia English - en.incarabia.com. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  5. The New Arab Staff. "Tech for Palestine: New group to help workers speak on Gaza". The New Arab. Archived from the original on May 27, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  6. "I can't sleep". Paul Biggar. December 14, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Pratt, Timothy (December 3, 2024). "'Progressive except for Palestine': how a tech charity imploded over a statement on Gaza". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  8. https://x.com/tech4palestine/status/1782160494113046953
  9. Ansari, Tasmia (January 31, 2024). "Paul Biggar Breaks Silence on Big Tech's Palestine Stance". Analytics India Magazine. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  10. "Tech For Palestine Launches and Unveils Several Tools for Palestinian Solidarity". Muslim Tech Wire. January 3, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  11. "Tech for Palestine Coalition Launched To Support Palestine". Inc. Arabia English - en.incarabia.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  12. Bhuiyan, Johana (January 2, 2025). "Halal tech: how Muslim-friendly websites and apps blossomed in 2024". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  13. Hussain, Shaik Zakeer (October 7, 2024). "Tech for Palestine Launches Incubator for Pro-Palestinian Tech Initiatives". Barakah Insider. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  14. ""Tech for Palestine": 40 Technologists band together to support besieged Palestine". The Hindu. January 3, 2024. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  15. "Palestine boycott list". www.ethicalconsumer.org. December 27, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  16. "Pro-Palestine edits trigger Wikipedia action". The Jerusalem Post. December 12, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  17. Perdomo, Williams (October 25, 2024). "At least 40 pro-Hamas Wikipedia editors misrepresented information about Israel". VOZ. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.