Facebook Bans Holocaust Denial, Distortion Posts, Will Direct Users To Authoritative Sources

Facebook said Monday it is updating its hate speech policy to prohibit any content that denies or distorts the Holocaust.

Monika Bickert, VP of Content Policy called the move another step in the social media giant’s effort to fight hate on its service and said the the decision is supported by the “well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally and the alarming level of ignorance about the Holocaust, especially among young people.”

According to a recent survey of adults in the US aged 18-39, almost a quarter said they believed the Holocaust was a myth, that it had been exaggerated or they weren’t sure she wrote in a blog post.

Institutions focused on Holocaust research and remembrance like Yad Vashem in Israel have noted that Holocaust education is also a key component in combatting anti-Semitism. Bickert said that starting later this year Facebook we will direct users to credible information off Facebook if they search for terms associated with the Holocaust or its denial.

She noted the rise in online hate speech online worldwide and said Facebook has banned more than 250 white supremacist organizations and updated our policies to address militia groups and QAnon. The platform removed 22.5 million pieces of hate speech from in the second quarte, she said. Facebook recently banned anti-Semitic stereotypes about the collective power of Jews.

“Enforcement of these policies cannot happen overnight. There is a range of content that can violate these policies, and it will take some time to train our reviewers and systems on enforcement. We are grateful to many partners for their input and candor as we work to keep our platform safe,” Bickert wrote.

Source: Read Full Article