Meta Platforms (META.O) announced on Tuesday that it would begin removing more posts that target “Zionists” when the term is used to refer to Jewish people and Israelis, rather than supporters of the political movement. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram stated in a blog post that it would delete content “attacking ‘Zionists’ when it is not explicitly about the political movement” and uses antisemitic stereotypes or threatens harm through intimidation or violence directed against Jews or Israelis.
Meta’s hate speech policy prohibits direct attacks on individuals based on protected characteristics, including race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, and gender identity, among others. The company noted that its previous policies, which considered the term “Zionist” as a proxy for Jewish or Israeli people in only two specific contexts, were inadequate for addressing the broader use of the term.
The updated policy, developed after consultations with 145 stakeholders from civil society and academia worldwide, comes amidst rising tensions in the Middle East due to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Meta has faced longstanding criticism over its handling of content related to the Middle East, which intensified after the outbreak of the war. Rights groups have accused the company of suppressing pro-Palestinian content on Facebook and Instagram.
