After Massive Criticism in Media, Palestinian Journalist Bisan Owda's TikTok Account Restored

Journalist Bisan Owda claimed on Thursday that her original TikTok account - which previously had 1.4 million followers - was no longer accessible.

Gaza: Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda, who shared ground reports from Gaza after intense media backlash and criticism, has regained her TikTok account. The 28-year-old journalist has 1.4 million followers on TikTok. 

Owda is known for posting daily videos from inside the war-torn zone, often beginning with the line: “It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m still alive.” Emmy Award-winning journalist and activist Bisan Owda has gained international recognition for her reporting on Israel’s more than two-year-long, deadly war on Gaza.

On January 29, 2026, Owda shared a video announcing that her account had been banned. In the video, shot in Gaza and shared across her social media platforms, including her newly launched TikTok page, Owda stated that she had spent four years building her following before the account was banned. Owda said, "I was hoping it would be restricted, not permanently banned, like usual."

Owda cited the platform's US ownership change, recent comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the new chief executive of TikTok's US branch, Adam Presser, as reasons for the ban. The young journalist also shared an undated clip of Adam Presser discussing changes made to TikTok during his time as head of US operations. 

Note, I have NO TikTok accounts
anymore! Don't be scammed !! !!
Watch this.@AbubakerAbedW @AbujomaaGaza pic.twitter.com/DdYoQvIPLh

— Bisan owda (@bisan__bisan) January 28, 2026

In the video, Adam Presser stated that "using the word 'Zionist' for a protected feature" constitutes "hate speech," referring to the nationalist ideology that emerged in Europe in the late 19th century and advocates for the creation of a Jewish state. Presser said, "There is no end in sight to controlling hate speech, identifying hateful trends, and keeping the platform safe."

In his video, Ovda shared footage of Netanyahu meeting with a pro-Israel influencer in New York last September, where he expressed hope that the purchase of TikTok would be completed. Netanyahu said at the time, "We have to fight with the weapons that apply to the battlefield we're on, and the most important one is social media." Netanyahu added, "The most important purchase that's happening right now is TikTok, and I hope it happens, because it could have consequences."

Last week, TikTok announced that a deal had been completed to create a separate US version, with the new entity controlled by investment firms—many of them US-based—with ties to US President Donald Trump.

Journalists Killed in January 2025 #journalism #Media #Press https://t.co/Tn6TL7XQHg

— VOiCE OF MEDIA (@voiceofmedia1) January 15, 2026

According to a TikTok spokesperson, Ovda's account was "temporarily restricted" last September after reports indicated a potential risk of it being a fake account. After further review, the account was restored and is now functioning normally.

Bisan Owda co-produced a documentary with Al Jazeera titled "This is Bisan from Gaza and I'm Still Alive," which won the prestigious Emmy Award for Outstanding Hard News Feature Story in 2024.