Meta says it will start removing posts that label Jews "Zionists" and target them for harm.
The latest update to Meta's policy regarding use of the word "Zionist" comes as the tech titan behind Facebook and Instagram strives to balance free speech with hateful attacks on Jews.
"We will now remove content that targets 'Zionists' with dehumanizing comparisons, calls for harm, or denials of existence on the basis that 'Zionist' in those instances often appears to be a proxy for Jewish or Israeli people," Meta said in a blog post.
The change expands on Meta's approach of treating the reference as hate speech when it is used along with antisemitic imagery or clearly references the Jewish people.
Meta said it will remove content attacking "Zionists" when -- rather than being tied to that political movement -- it is pegged to antisemitic stereotypes such as claims they run the world or control the media.
Meta earlier this month said it is modifying its hate speech policy to take a more nuanced approach when it comes to whether the use of the Arabic word "shaheed," which is commonly translated as "martyr", is hate speech.
An independent oversight board referred to as a top court for Meta content moderation challenges had recommended the change and welcomed an easing of what has "effectively been a blanket ban" on the term "shaheed," according to board member Paolo Carozza.
© 2024 AFP
13 Comments
WoodyLee
The fact is Zionism is fueling Anti - Semitism.
Many Jews wanted NOTHING to do with Zionism and they flat out Reject it.
Capuchin
Lot's of anti-Zionist Jews are going to find their posts being removed.
WoodyLee
@Sakurasuki
Agree, next will be Apartheid, Jewish, Detention, Land Grapping, Nakba, Freedom, Liberty, Justice, West Bank, then Ultimately PALESTINE.
tora
And JT will remove far, far, less nefarious posts, often even mandane ones. Yet we keep on posting. Must be the thrill of it all.
WoodyLee
Due to the fact that Gaza war has exposed Zionist movement ideology and agenda Mr. M. Zukerberg who also happen to be Jewish himself must have received a phone call from Bibi.
Nothing Anti-Semitic about the word Zionist or Jewish or Shaheed, or Islamist. these all are word that do exist and represent certain ideology's and meanings.
The aim here is NOT TO EXPOSE the movement.
sakurasuki
So Anti-Semitism now definition become broader and broader. What next, they'll remove post that mention occupation, settler and settlement. Good bye free speech.
blue in green
More like, for mentioning...
“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”
― George Orwell, 1984
Bob Pns
If you actually read the article you’d see that the author explains that it isn’t the traditional meaning of Zionist that is getting banned but rather it will remove content using it as a placeholder word being used as a derogatory term for Jewish people as a whole.
“Meta said it will remove content attacking "Zionists" when -- rather than being tied to that political movement -- it is pegged to antisemitic stereotypes such as claims they run the world or control the media.”
Bob Pns
Probably not, unless their posts are using ‘Zionist’ as a derogatory term for Jew.
sakurasuki
@Fuji Matsu
We also see when censorship getting increasing, where people just unwilling to say anything anymore.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_the_Soviet_Union
Pukey2
The German authorities are probably kicking themselves they didn't invent the expressions anti-Teutonic or Teutophobia instead of anti-Nazi.
owzer
You know what they say - cheap people, cheap thrills
Fuji Matsu
Nice movement.
Antisemitism should vanish from this world altogether and right now!
we saw what happened in WW2. Can’t let it happen again. Ever.