The latest update to Meta’s policy regarding use of the word “Zionist” comes as the tech titan behind Facebook and Instagram strives to balance free speech with hateful attacks on Jews.
“We will now remove content that targets ‘Zionists’ with dehumanizing comparisons, calls for harm, or denials of existence on the basis that ‘Zionist’ in those instances often appears to be a proxy for Jewish or Israeli people,” Meta said in a blog post.
The change expands on Meta’s approach of treating the reference as hate speech when it is used along with antisemitic imagery or clearly references the Jewish people.
Meta said it will remove content attacking “Zionists” when – rather than being tied to that political movement – it is pegged to antisemitic stereotypes such as claims they run the world or control the media.
It’s not a matter of whether it’s a common meaning among their associates. The problem is that it’s a common meaning used by anti semitic groups.
Of course the problem cuts both ways, hateful anti semitic folks hiding behind criticism of Zionists, and Neyanyahu supporters dismissing any and all criticism as broadly anti semitic.
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