A group that works for the company that owns Facebook says it was wrong for the site to take down a post with a common protest slogan against Iran’s leader.
In July, Meta’s moderators said that the phrase “marg bar Khamenei” (which means “death to Khamenei”) was against the rules. But the board said that the phrase was often used rhetorically to mean “Down with Khamenei” and did not mean that violence was likely to happen.
It also said what should be done “to protect political speech better.” The Oversight Board makes decisions about what content should be allowed or banned on Meta’s platforms, such as Instagram and WhatsApp, without any help from Meta.
Before the government started limiting access to Meta’s social networks in September, millions of Iranians used them to get news. This was because there were protests all over the country against the clerical establishment and Supreme Leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
#Iran #Facebook:Oversight Board-set up as “supreme court” for content decisions on Facebook & Instagram-has overturned Meta’s original decision to remove Facebook post against Iranian government,containing the slogan “death to Khamenei”-which predated current protests #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/8ePTBPdwHi
— sebastian usher (@sebusher) January 9, 2023
People in the crowds have been heard chanting “marg bar Khamenei” in Persian. This is because a young woman who was arrested by morality police for wearing her hijab “improperly” died while in custody.
The government has called the protests “riots” and used deadly force to stop them. The Human Rights Activists News Agency says that at least 519 protesters have been killed and 19,300 have been jailed so far (HRANA). After what the UN called “unfair trials based on forced confessions,” four people were put to death.
“In the Iranian context, the board finds that Meta must do more to respect freedom of expression and permit the use of rhetorical threats,” the Facebook Oversight Board’s ruling said.
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“The Iranian government systematically represses freedom of expression and digital spaces have become a key forum for dissent. In such situations, it is vital that Meta supports users’ voices.”
It said that Meta should have known there would be problems with the anti-government protests on Iran’s National Day of Hijab and Chastity last July and told moderators not to take down content with the slogan “marg bar Khamenei.”
“As this case shows, its failure to do so led to the silencing of political speech aimed at protecting women’s rights.” The board said it had made recommendations “to better protect political speech in critical situations, such as that in Iran, where historic, widespread, protests are being violently suppressed”.
Meta takes sides against repression in Iran: “death to Khamenei” slogan authorized on Facebook
The opposition to the protest in Iran is increasingly mobilizing social networks.
The position of the platform is clear A half which controls the social network services of Face… pic.twitter.com/8jOffdyGpT
— VESA Channel (@ChannelVesa) January 9, 2023
It also asked Meta to add to its rules about violent content the criteria that would be used to decide when threats against heads of state could be made in a threatening way.
After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, users in some countries could briefly call for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s death on Meta. It took away the exemption two days later after people found out about it… Follow us only on Lee Daily for more news like this.
