This is insane, whatever you think of Russia and Putin. Why? Because once again, it sets a precedent. Facebook and Instagram have already shown themselves to be actively hostile toward those who dissent from the Leftist agenda. How long before death threats are allowed against them?
This also is further evidence that “hate speech” is a subjective and elastic category. “Hate speech” is whatever someone in power wants it to be when he or she wants to silence the powerless.
“Facebook and Instagram relax rules to allow death threats to Russian soldiers and Putin,” by Anugraha Sundaravelu, Metro, March 11, 2022:
Facebook and Instagram users in some countries will be allowed to call for the death of Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion.
According to internal emails seen by news agency Reuters on Thursday, Facebook’s parent company introduced the temporary change to its hate speech policy for users in parts of Europe.
The company is also temporarily allowing some posts that call for death to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko.
These will be allowed in countries including Russia, Ukraine and Poland, according to internal emails to its content moderators.
Meanwhile, temporary policy changes on calls for violence against Russian soldiers apply to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine.
‘As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as “death to the Russian invaders”,’ a Meta spokesperson said.
‘We still won’t allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.’…
In the email recently sent to moderators, Meta highlighted a change in its hate speech policy pertaining both to Russian soldiers and to Russians in the context of the invasion.
‘We are issuing a spirit-of-the-policy allowance to allow T1 violent speech that would otherwise be removed under the Hate Speech policy when: (a) targeting Russian soldiers, EXCEPT prisoners of war, or (b) targeting Russians where it’s clear that the context is the Russian invasion of Ukraine (e.g., content mentions the invasion, self-defense, etc.),’ it said in the email.
Keith O says
Interesting back flip from farce book.
Next however, we will see an expansion of this policy to allow similar calls for death against Israel and a ban on any pro Israeli comments!
gravenimage says
Facebook and Instagram allow death threats to Russian soldiers and Putin
………..
I completely condemn Russia aggression in Ukraine, but this is ugly as well.
Infidel says
For those who endorse Facebook & Twitter here, keep in mind that it was against their rules to issue death threats to the likes of Ayatollah Khamenei, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Xi Jin Ping, George Soros and a whole lot of other international thugs. But somehow, Putin is okay, and even before that, conservatives too were okay: that if Leftists or jihadists issue death threats to American conservatives, those 2 companies will look the other way
So even if you hate Putin, note that he’s being treated no differently then how you are being treated by these 2 companies, when a Leftist or Jihadist who hates what you have to say issues you a death threat. How successful have you usually been in getting him/her banned?
OLD GUY says
Being a public figure exposes you to more media coverage and criticism. As a political person such as Putin who opened the box to killing citizens of another country for his personnel gain. I think people have the right to call for his execution and death as a punishment or means to end his attack and killing of innocent people. HE brought this on himself, so I have no problem with taking him out along with his fellow henchmen.