Meta has confirmed that it is assessing when the term "Zionist" should be considered hate speech, amid rising anti-Semitism online in the wake of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The technology giant, which owns Facebook and Instagram, affirmed the report by the Washington Post that it is considering expanding its hate speech ban to include more uses of this term, especially when it appears to be a negative substitute for "Jews" or "Israelis."
A spokesperson for Meta, in response to an inquiry from AFP, stated, "Given the increasing polarized public discourse due to events in the Middle East, we believe it is important to evaluate our guidelines for reviewing posts that use the term 'Zionist.'" They added, "While the term 'Zionist' often refers to an individual's doctrine, it can also be used to refer to the Jewish or Israeli people."
Meta's policy prohibits attacking individuals based on religion or nationality, which means the company faces the challenge of distinguishing when the word "Zionist" refers to a doctrine or a group of people. According to the company, Meta is working to improve how it applies the hate speech ban to posts containing this term.
Aliya Alghussein, a researcher and advisor at Amnesty International, stated that the social media giant must be careful not to have content policies biased against pro-Palestinian voices that openly speak out against the war. Alghussein added in a statement that an outright ban on criticizing “Zionism” or “Zionists” on Meta's platforms would restrict freedom of expression for those trying to draw attention to "the horrific crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza." Regarding the internal review being conducted by Meta, Alghussein highlighted that "this proposed review is particularly concerning given the dire situation currently in the Gaza Strip."
