Tech behemoth Meta, which controls well-known social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, has made the decision to lift its complete prohibition on using the term “shaheed” (martyr), which has unjustly resulted in the censoring of millions of users worldwide.
The action was taken after Meta approved the suggestion of its Oversight Board, which suggested significant policy modifications. The board had conducted a thorough study and concluded that the general restriction may be restricting speech concerning violence in conflict-affected areas like Gaza and Sudan.
The software business, which up until now believed the word “Shaheed” to be a reference to “entities,” has long censored and eliminated the phrase, which Meta itself has acknowledged is the target of one of the most draconian blanket restrictions.
The Oversight Board stated that there were no exclusions for reporting on, objectively debating, or denouncing the phrase, which led to the unjust removal of content from millions of users, particularly those from Muslim and Arabic-speaking groups.
But it was determined that the word has multiple connotations, some of which do not glorify, praise, or support violence, it continued.
The board emphasizes that when information is removed, there should be a “swift impact” from the policy change.
