Meta Policy Change Linked to Rise in Antisemitic Content, Australian Inquiry Hears
Key Events
Meta announced in January 2025 that it would "reduce censorship," eliminate factcheckers, and rely on users to report less serious violations. The company said it would only proactively tackle illegal and very serious breaches.
- The Australian royal commission into antisemitism heard evidence that this policy shift potentially allowed more antisemitic content to flourish on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
- Witnesses who testified before the commission reported being targeted on Facebook specifically after giving evidence.
Meta's Internal Policies
Internal Meta "Frequently Asked Questions" guidance revealed a permissive approach to offensive speech:
- Comments such as "gay people are sinners" would be permitted.
- False claims like "immigrants are criminals" and "white people are all Nazis" would also be allowed.
- The statement "Black people are more violent than whites" was deemed acceptable.
- However, the claim "black people are all drug dealers" was not allowed, as it charges specific criminal behavior.
Meta’s document states: "It is not Meta’s role to police offensiveness."
Enforcement Statistics
Meta reported that the prevalence of hateful conduct policy violations has remained at 0.02% since 2022. However, the inquiry was shown graphs indicating a 79% drop in hateful conduct actions taken by Meta since the policy change.
Commissioner Virginia Bell asked for a "plausible explanation" for this drop other than the policy change.
Meta's global director of core policy, Benjamin Good, told the inquiry that the ecosystem is complex and he does not know if the drop relates solely to policy changes.
Crackdown on "Zionist" Usage
Meta has expanded its hate speech policies to include certain uses of the word "Zionist."
Benjamin Good explained that some users employ "Zionist" as a proxy for "Jewish people" to spread conspiracy theories about control over media and government. Claims such as "Zionists control the media" are now prohibited under this policy.
Over-Enforcement Concerns
Meta’s Good cited the risk of "over-enforcement" where content condemning terrorist groups like Hamas might be inadvertently removed, which would harm communities trying to speak out against atrocities.
Factchecking in Australia
- Mia Garlick, Facebook Australia’s public policy director, confirmed that Australia still uses factcheckers for misinformation.
- The "community notes" function that replaced factcheckers elsewhere may be rolled out in Australia.