KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — Meta Platforms Inc has denied a WhatsApp message claiming that business Facebook page administrators have been warned against posting content related to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
The parent of social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp said the company’s policies are designed to give everyone a voice while prioritising safety, regardless of personal beliefs.
“The suggestion that we’re trying to suppress a particular community or point of view is categorically untrue,” a Meta spokesman said in a statement mailed to Malaysia's fact-checking network JomCheck.
“Our policies are designed to give everyone a voice while keeping people safe on our apps, and we apply these policies regardless of who is posting or their personal beliefs.”
The original poster of the WhatsApp text in question claimed they had received a call from Meta Malaysia saying that administrators of business pages on Facebook who post content related to Palestine anywhere, including in their personal accounts, would be placing their business pages at risk.
The Meta spokesman also pointed to an October 13 statement by Meta regarding measures it has taken in response to the spread of potentially harmful content amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Among others, the statement said posts praising Palestinian militant group Hamas are not allowed on Meta’s platforms as Hamas is designated by the United States government as both a “foreign terrorist organisation” and “specially designated global terrorists”.
“This means Hamas is banned from our platforms, and we remove praise and substantive support of them when we become aware of it, while continuing to allow social and political discourse — such as news reporting, human rights-related issues, or academic, neutral and condemning discussion,” it said.
Meta said in the three days following Hamas' surprise attack against Israel on October 7, it had removed or marked as disturbing more than 795,000 pieces of content on Facebook for violating these policies in Hebrew and Arabic.
It also said that since October 7, more than US$11.5 million (RM54.9 million) have been raised on Facebook and Instagram to help with relief efforts in Israel and Palestine, including over 340,000 donations to 262 charities providing disaster relief, ambulance and blood services, medical care and more.
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