Posting “death to the Russian invaders” on Facebook now OK in some countries

Enlarge / Smoke rises from a Russian tank destroyed by Ukrainian forces in the Luhansk region on February 26, 2022. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov / AFP via Getty Images) (credit: Anatolii Stepanov / AFP)

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine grinds on, Meta is temporarily changing its policies to allow users on Facebook and Instagram to post calls for violence against-and even the deaths of-Russian soldiers and political figures, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as death to Russian invaders,'" Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said on Twitter. We still won't allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians."

The temporary policy exception was recently sent to Facebook and Instagram moderators, and emails detailing the change were revealed by Reuters. The exceptions mark the social media company's latest attempt to adapt to the shifting geopolitical situation.

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