In a letter issued on Thursday, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren called upon Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to provide information regarding allegations of suppressing pro-Palestine content on Meta platforms. The letter, backed by over 90 human rights and civil rights organizations, referenced concerns about censorship, removal, and mistranslation of Palestine-related content on Meta platforms.
Warren expressed heightened concern amid the recent Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, emphasizing the importance of social media platforms not censoring truthful and legitimate content, especially during crises.
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The letter cited numerous instances where Instagram posts related to Palestine were reportedly limited or removed without clear explanations, and some users found their accounts entirely suspended. Meta had previously attributed such incidents to glitches but commissioned independent analysis revealed human rights violations in censoring content related to previous Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Alleged Meta Policies and Ongoing Suppressions
The letter further highlighted a Wall Street Journal report, revealing Meta’s implementation of a “temporary risk response measure” that automatically flagged posts about Palestine at an increased rate.
The company reduced the content moderation threshold from 80% to 25% in the weeks following the October 7 attacks. Columbia University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine reported Instagram account suspension, and on December 13, Instagram introduced a fact-checking tool accused of disproportionately filtering information about Palestine.
Despite these concerns, Meta has not yet responded to the requests for comment. Elizabeth Warren posed detailed questions to Zuckerberg about Meta’s content moderation practices, requested a list of instances where moderation thresholds were altered, and sought information on changes made following the 2021 inquiry into the suppression of Palestinian voices.
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Warren emphasized the need for social media users to understand when and why their accounts and posts face restrictions, especially on major platforms facilitating vital information-sharing.
The senator requested answers to her inquiries by January 5, 2024, underlining the serious questions raised about Meta’s content moderation practices and anti-discrimination protections, particularly in the context of social media users playing a crucial role in reporting human rights violations and war crimes.