Meta asked to end blanket ban of word ‘shaheed’

KARACHI: The Oversight Board of Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — has advised the social media giant to lift the ban on the use of the word ‘shaheed’, an Arabic word which translates to ‘martyr’ in English, as it will make a “huge difference” in media coverage of such events.

In its opinion released on Tuesday, the board said that Meta’s approach to moderating the said word is “overbroad, and disproportionately restricts freedom of expression and civic discourse”.

The company had sought an opinion from its board regarding its content moderation policy as it interprets all uses of “shaheed” referring to individuals it has designated as “dangerous” as violating and removes the content.

In February 2023, Meta asked its board whether it should continue to remove content using the Arabic term to refer to individuals designated under its Dangerous Organisations and Individuals policy.

The US-based company has come under immense criticism from the rights bodies over its policies especially after the Gaza conflict. The rights activists have blamed it for silencing the pro-Palestinian voices and suppressing free speech.

According to Meta, it is likely that ‘shaheed’ accounts for more content removals under its guidelines than any other single word or phrase on its platforms.

The advisory panel stated that its research was about to conclude when in October 2023 Hamas attacked Israel and in response, Israel launched a full-scale military operation in Gaza which worsened the situation in the Middle East.

It said that in light of new developments, the publication of this policy advisory opinion was paused to ensure its recommendations were responsive to the use of Meta’s platforms and the word ‘shaheed’ in this context.