The social media behemoth should eliminate the ban on using the Arabic word “shaheed,” which translates to “martyr” in English, according to the Oversight Board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The board claims that this will make a “huge difference” in how the media covers these events.
The board stated that Meta’s strategy for censoring the aforementioned word is “overbroad, and disproportionately restricts freedom of expression and civic discourse” in an opinion that was made public on Tuesday.
The company asked its board for advice on its content moderation policy since it considers any usage of the term “shaheed” to refer to those it has identified as “dangerous” to be illegal and deletes the offending content.
Meta questioned its board in February 2023 if it should keep removing content that mentioned people identified under its Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy by using the Arabic phrase.
The US-based business has faced harsh criticism for its actions from human rights organizations, particularly in the wake of the Gaza crisis. Rights activists accuse it of stifling free speech and muting pro-Palestinian views.
‘Shaheed’ probably accounts for more content removals under Meta’s criteria than any other word or phrase on its sites.
