Meta takes steps to remove Hamas-related disinformation
Since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, misleading claims and doctored images have spread on Facebook and other social media
Meta said on Friday it was taking steps including removing praise and substantive support for Hamas from its platforms after the European Union reprimanded social media companies for not doing enough to tackle disinformation.
Since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, misleading claims and doctored images have spread on Facebook and other social media.
In the three days after the attack, Meta said it remSince Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, misleading claims and doctored images have spread on Facebook and other social media.
Meta is also temporarily expanding its violence and incitement policy and removing content that clearly identifies hostages taken by Hamas, even if it is being done to condemn or raise awareness of their situation.
Content with blurred images of victims is still allowed but the company will prioritise the safety and privacy of kidnapping victims if unsure or unable to make a clear assessment, it said.
Following the attack, Hamas has taken scores of Israeli and foreign hostages to the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Meta said it was aware of Hamas’ threats to broadcast footage of the hostages and it would swiftly remove any such content and prevent copies being re-shared.
It is also lowering the threshold at which its technology takes action to avoid recommending content that potentially violates rules across its Facebook, Instagram and Threads platforms.
