Washington CNN —Meta will now remove posts containing the term “Zionist” when used in conjunction with antisemitic tropes or dehumanizing rhetoric, the company said Tuesday, in an expansion of its current hate speech policies.
The decision follows what the company described as a months-long inquiry into how the term has historically been used and how it is currently being used on social media, particularly as the war in Gaza continues.
“We have determined that the existing policy guidance does not sufficiently address the ways people are using the term ‘Zionist’ online and offline,” Meta said in a blog post.
Meta said it met with more than 145 historians, civil rights groups, legal and human rights experts, and free speech advocates from around the world in reaching its decision.
The company said it also asked its quasi-judicial oversight board to issue guidance on how it should moderate posts that accuse groups labeled with “proxy terms for nationality (including Zionists)” of war crimes.
Persons:
Meta, Israel
Organizations:
Washington CNN
Locations:
Gaza