Meta Updates Its Hate Speech Policy to Remove Posts Speaking Negatively About Zionists

• Meta is updating its hate speech policy to change how the company handles posts related to zionists.
• It has decided to remove all posts that talk about zionists in a negative light. Only those who talk about the movement itself will be allowed since it falls under the political speech" category.
• The changes will be effective immediately but given how nuanced the matter is, Meta said that it will take some time to accurately implement the changes.

Meta has decided to change some of its content rules surrounding the use of the word zionist", which is often used interchangeably for Jews and Israelis in hate speeches.

On Tuesday, the company expanded its current policy for hate speeches and said that any post that uses the word zionist along with antisemitic tropes or dehumanizing rhetoric will be removed.

Posts threatening them with physical harm, mocking them for having a disease, denials of existence, and claims about running the world or controlling the media will all fall under this category.

If a user is found constantly violating the policy, their account will either be suspended or removed. Only posts that actually talk about the political movement without a negative undertone will be allowed on the platform.

Previously, the company's Hate Speech policy treated the word ZIonist as a proxy for Jews and Israelis in only two cases:

• If the post explicitly indicates that the words are being used interchangeably
• If the zionists are compared with rats, a common antisemitic comparison.

While these provisions will remain in place, Meta realized the need for additional policy guidance to address the different ways in which the word is used.

How Did Meta Handle the Issue?

This isn't a recent issue. For the past many years, the company has revisited the misuse of the word again and again until March this year when it decided to take a more definite step.

Hence, it examined the issue through its Policy Forum and collaborated with various external experts to see how people use the word.

A total of 145 stakeholders from various backgrounds representing civil society and academia across Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, and the Middle East have been consulted in the process.

Although it's impossible to achieve a global consensus on the rightful use of the word, the research revealed that when this word is used on the platform, it's mostly in relation to hateful content against Jews and Israelis.

Meta has said time and again that it doesn't allow content that targets an individual or a group based on "protected characteristics" such as race, nationality, religion, and sex among other factors.

This is not to say that users don't have the freedom to express their opinions. However, the words they choose to express those opinions and the way they frame them make all the difference.

Giving an example, the company explained that it won't allow a post that says People of X religion' are stupid," but it will allow a post that says Supporters of X political movement' are stupid."

The Only Hiccup - Criminal Comparison

While the rest of the matter is resolved, one tiny confusion remains i.e. how to handle comparison between zionists and criminals. For every "protected characteristic", comparison with criminals is strictly prohibited.

However, the companies noted that sometimes the comparisons are made to the government, military, or other groups.

For example, the phrase The Americans" is a phrase often used to refer to the American government. In that case, the speech is simply political and not hateful.

So when the term zionist" is used in a similar context, Meta is unsure how to handle that. It's waiting for the Oversight Board to share its insights on the matter.

Closing Thoughts

Making changes to a policy is one thing but making sure it gets implemented is another thing. So the company added at the end that these changes cannot be expected to take place overnight. Twitter (X) has also been labeling tweets for hate speech since April last year.

Meta uses both technology and human content reviewers to monitor posts on its platform but they do come with limitations. So implementing these policies, especially with such nuances will be challenging. It will take time and a lot of trial and testing to get it right.

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