The Latest Reactive Policy Change Follows Growing Pressure From Advocacy Groups


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Tech & Terrorism: Facebook Updates Hate Speech Policy To Ban Content Denying
Or Distorting The Holocaust

The Latest Reactive Policy Change Follows Growing Pressure From Advocacy Groups

(New York, N.Y.) – On Monday, Facebook updated
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speech policy to ban content that “denies or distorts” information about the
Holocaust. The company claimed that its latest policy change “is supported by
the well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally and the alarming level of
ignorance about the Holocaust, especially among young people.” Facebook’s
latest policy change follows mounting pressure from advocacy groups’ efforts to
hold Facebook accountable for failing to enforce theirCommunity Standards
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on its platforms. This summer, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against
Germany led acampaign
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to directly call on CEO Mark Zuckerberg to remove Holocaust denial posts from
its sites. The #NoDenyingIt campaign encouraged Holocaust survivors to post a
video message addressing Zuckerberg on Facebook and on Facebook-owned Instagram
to ban content denying the Holocaust on its platforms.

 

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) has previously documented instances of
anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial on Instagram. In January, ananti-Semitic
account
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was discovered that advocated for violence against Jews and posted content
that denied the horrific events of the Holocaust. At the time of the its
discovery, the account had more than 1,400 followers and had cumulatively
posted photos of approximately 440 individuals. In April,additional neo-Nazi
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Instagram accounts were found that included stores selling anti-Semitic and
Nazi themed clothing, accounts calling for acts of violence, and an account
belonging to a New England based neo-Nazi gang.

 

Facebook has a dubious track record with moderating content that denies the
Holocaust and incites violence against Jews. In 2018,The Times reported on
Facebook’snegligence
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in allowing posts that called the Holocaust a lie and described Jews as
“barbaric and unsanitary” to remain on its platform even after the content was
reported. When speaking toThe Times on Facebook’s failed hate speech content
moderation policies, CEP’s Executive Director David Ibsensaid
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, “Facebook not only allows Holocaust deniers and antisemitism to continue to
be freely available online but Mr. Zuckerberg is using freedom of expression as
his excuse. These antisemitic views are against Facebook’s own community
guidelines. We urge Facebook to take meaningful and urgent action to ensure
their platform is not used for encouraging violent and illegal activity like
this.”

 

To read CEP’s resource, Tracking Facebook’s Policy Changes, please click here
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.

 

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