On Tuesday, Meta Platforms announced that it would take action to remove posts targeting the term “Zionist” when used in a derogatory manner towards Jews or Israelis, rather than to describe supporters of a political movement.
In a blog post, Meta’s parent company of Facebook and Instagram stated they would delete content that attacks “Zionists” without clearly referencing a political movement, as well as content containing anti-Semitic stereotypes or threats of violence towards Jews or Israelis.
Meta’s hate speech policy prohibits direct attacks on individuals based on protected characteristics like race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or gender identity.
The social media company noted that its current policy only considers “Zionist” as a substitute for Jews or Israelis in limited cases and does not fully address its broader usage.
This policy update comes amidst heightened tensions in the Middle East due to the conflict in Gaza and follows a consultation involving 145 stakeholders from various sectors worldwide.
Meta has faced ongoing criticism for its approach to Middle East-related content, which intensified during the recent conflict, with accusations from human rights organizations of censoring pro-Palestinian content on their platforms.
Source: www.theguardian.com
