After X, Meta cracks down on Hamas-related disinformation
Meta has taken action against disinformation related to Hamas on its platforms, including removing content that praises or significantly supports the Palestinian militant group. This move comes after the European Union criticized social media companies for not properly addressing disinformation. Following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, Meta has removed or marked as disturbing more than 7,95,000 pieces of content in Hebrew or Arabic.
Expanded violence and incitement policy
To tackle this issue, Meta is temporarily expanding its violence and incitement policy. The company will now take down content that clearly identifies hostages taken by Hamas, even if it's meant to condemn or raise awareness about their situation. Blurred images of victims are still allowed, but Meta will focus on the safety and privacy of kidnapping victims when making decisions. Since the attack, Hamas has taken several Israeli and foreign hostages to Gaza.
Preventing hostage footage broadcasts
Meta is prepared for Hamas's threats to broadcast footage of hostages and promises to quickly remove any such content and stop copies from being re-shared. The company is also lowering the threshold for its technology to take action, preventing content that might violate rules from being recommended across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads platforms. While Hamas is banned from these platforms, Meta still allows social and political discourse, like news reporting and critical discussions.
EU pressure on social media platforms
The European Commission has been urging social media platforms to remove illegal and harmful content related to the Israel-Hamas conflict in line with its Digital Services Act (DSA). Non-compliance with the DSA could lead to hefty fines. A day ago, Elon Musk's social media platform X too announced the removal of hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts and "tens of thousands of pieces of content" related to the conflict.
