Award-winning Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has regained access to her TikTok account, one day after she reported being permanently banned from the platform. Owda, who has 1.4 million followers, said the sudden removal of her account came shortly after TikTok’s US operations were partially acquired by new investors, including Zionist billionaire Larry Ellison.

Owda shared the news on her Instagram and X accounts, saying she believed international media attention and pressure from non-governmental organisations contributed to the reversal. She added that while her account is now accessible, visitors must type her full username to find it, and many of her videos are “ineligible for recommendation.”


TikTok had initially deleted Owda’s account. “TikTok deleted my account. I had 1.4 million followers there, and I have been building that platform for four years,” Owda said in a video from Gaza. “I expected that it will be restricted, like every time, not banned forever.”

The ban and subsequent unbanning prompted strong reactions online. One user wrote, “Displaced yet again, this time digital.” Another questioned, “Why anyone even uses TikTok is beyond me. It is now controlled and censored by Israel.” 

Some linked the ban to broader political motives, with a comment stating, “It is clear now that one of the main reasons that the US gov wanted to control TikTok was to censor pro Palestine voices.”

Other reactions directly referenced the involvement of Larry Ellison, who owns a partial stake in TikTok. “Larry Ellison banned her account!” one user wrote, while another said, “We all had more freedom under China and everyone knows it. Zionists are the most anti-free speech people on earth!”

After the account was restored, users expressed skepticism about TikTok’s motives. “TikTok has backed down, saying the ban on Bisan Owda’s account was a ‘technical error.’ Funny how the ‘error’ fixed itself once people started calling it out,” one comment read. 

Others warned about the platform’s safety for journalists in Gaza. “It is extremely unsafe for journalists in Gaza to be on a site owned by the number one IDF donor and creator of Oracle – the CIA’s primary databasing software. Cannot express more clearly how dangerous this is,” one reaction stated.

Some users urged Owda to distance herself from the platform despite regaining access. “I personally hope she doesn’t return to it and gives them the finger! They’re freaking out not only because of the media attention but the droves of people leaving – we shouldn’t be helping them by using their platforms if we have a choice,” one comment read. 

Another warned, “They’ve only done this so they can track her. She needs to understand this, dump TikTok.”