Meta decided to temporarily permit some posts on Facebook and Instagram to advocate for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s death.
According to an internal business message obtained by Reuters, Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg announced on Sunday that it is tightening its content moderation policy for Ukraine to prevent calls for the killing of a head of state.
After Reuters revealed last week that Meta was temporarily permitting some posts on Facebook and Instagram asking for the killing of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander
Meta Says That They Will Not Tolerate Violence On The Platform
Lukashenko, FB made the decision. Following the Reuters article, Meta announced a temporary relaxation in its content policy, which would only apply to Ukraine, to allow users to express their opposition to Russia’s aggression. Russia filed a criminal complaint against the social media company on the same day. Outside of regular business hours, Meta did not reply to a request for comment.
“These are difficult choices to make. The situation in Ukraine is rapidly changing. We strive to consider all of the implications and keep our advice under regular evaluation since the situation is always changing “Clegg explained.
Regarding the Russian citizens, no changes to hate speech rules would be made, he stated. “The tech giant is opposed to Russophobia. On our platform, we will not accept demands for genocide, ethnic cleansing, or any other type of discrimination, violence, or harassment directed towards Russians,” he added.
FB intends to submit the manner it altered the instructions it offers to content moderators to the independent oversight board, which was established to assist the platform to resolve some of the most challenging concerns around freedom of speech, according to Clegg.
On Monday, Russia’s communications authority slapped limitations on Meta’s Instagram account. On its platforms across the European Union, Meta had previously banned access to Russian official media sites RT and Sputnik.
