DUBAI: Meta’s Oversight Board on Tuesday issued a directive calling on the company to end its blanket ban on the Arabic word shaheed, which translates to martyr in English.
The independent board said Meta had always interpreted the term when used to refer to designated individuals as a violation of its policies, however, the word shaheed has several other uses that are non-violating.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, co-chair of the board, said: “Terrorism destroys lives and undermines the very fabric of our societies, but it is counterproductive to stop journalists from reporting on terrorist groups and to limit people’s ability to debate and condemn the violence they see around them just because of the presence of a single word.
“This blunt method is doing more harm than good. It can even lead to those speaking about deceased loved ones having their content taken down in error,” she added.
The board advised Meta to remove the word only when it was linked to clear signs of violence or when it was in violation of Meta’s other policies.
The ruling comes after years of criticism about how Meta handles content involving the Middle East.
A 2021 study commissioned by Meta itself found that the company’s approach had an “adverse human rights impact” on “the rights of Palestinian users to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, political participation, and non-discrimination, and therefore on the ability of Palestinians to share information and insights about their experiences as they occurred.”
It added that Arabic content was subject to over-enforcement.
Since the word shaheed was “a common loanword” used by Muslims and non-Muslims throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, ending the ban on its use would minimize the chances of accidentally removing non-violating content posted around the world, the board noted.
Meta conducted a policy review into its moderation of shaheed in 2020 but was unable to decide on how to proceed and asked the board to intervene last year.
The Israel-Hamas war had exacerbated the issue with criticism of the firm’s censorship policies escalating.
Many users have taken to other social media platforms to complain about their posts being taken down or profiles being suspended for posting pro-Palestinian content on Meta’s platforms.
Thorning-Schmidt said: “The reality is that communities worst hit by the current policy, such as those living in conflict zones like Gaza and Sudan, also live in contexts where censorship is rife.
“The board is especially concerned that Meta’s approach impacts journalism and civic discourse because media organizations and commentators might shy away from reporting on designated entities to avoid content removals.”
A company spokesperson said Meta would review the board’s feedback and respond within 60 days.
