Meta Broadens Hate Speech Policy To Address 'Zionist' References

Meta has announced that it would begin removing more posts targeting "Zionists" when the term is used to refer to Jewish people and Israelis rather than supporters of the political movement.

The company announced in a blog post that it would remove content "attacking 'Zionists' even when it is not explicitly about the political movement" and employs antisemitic stereotypes or threatens harm through intimidation or violence against Jews or Israelis.

The word "Zionism" is commonly linked to the political movement that started in the 19th century, aiming to establish a nation-state for the Jewish people before the founding of Israel.

The social media giant stated that its current policies, which only consider the term "Zionist" as a proxy for Jewish or Israeli people in two specific instances, do not adequately address the broader usage of the word.

The policy update, which comes after Meta's consultations with 145 stakeholders from civil society and academia worldwide, is being implemented amid rising tensions in the Middle East due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.