Meta Expands Hate Speech Policy To Remove Posts Targeting 'Zionists' (image@Meta)
Meta platform said that it would start taking measures to take down more posts that target “Zionists”, in which the word is used for referring to Jewish people and Israelis rather than representing supporters of the movement.
In a blog post, Meta said it would remove content “attacking ‘Zionists’ when it is not explicitly about the political movement” and uses antisemitic stereotypes or threatens harm through intimidation or violence directed against Jews or Israelis.
The platform’s policy prohibits direct attacks on people on the basis of what it calls protected characteristics, which include race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability and gender identity among others.
Read also: “I Am Banned From Facebook”: Palestinian Photo-Journalist Motaz Azaiza
It said its existing policies, which treat the term “Zionist” as a proxy for Jewish or Israeli people in just two narrow circumstances, who did not sufficiently address the ways people use the word more broadly.
The update was made after consultation with 145 stakeholders of Meta, representing civil society and academia across the globe. It was made as tensions mount in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The platform has been criticized for years on how it handles the content involving the Middle East. With the start of the Gaza war, the rights groups has accused the company of suppressing content supportive of Palestinians on Facebook and Instagram.
Read also: Meta Fires Employee Over Complaining About Supressing Posts Of Palestinians Including Motaza Azaiza
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Meta has systematically censored pro-Palestine voices, as reported by Human Rights Watch (HRW). As per the report, Meta has pulled down or suppressed hundreds of pro-Palestine posts due to the flawed content moderation policies, poor implementation, and “undue government influence”.
It had taken down and suspended posts and accounts of several Palestinians, including Gaza photojournalist Motaz Azaiza, and the page Eye On Palestine.
For the Palestinians, who have been under the genocidal assault of Israel, social media is the only platform to get their voices out. The Palestinians have been posting raw realities on social media, and Meta has been taking down their posts.
