Facebook says its new policy that bans the denial or distortion of the Holocaust does not apply to other genocides, such as the Armenian or Rwandan genocides

Facebook Inc. will ban posts that deny the Holocaust in a reversal of a long-held and controversial policy.

Bloomberg 2020-10-13 Sarah Frier

Discussion

@sarahfrier Sarah Frier on x
Update: This new policy is specific to Holocaust denial. You can still deny other genocides on Facebook. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@sterlingcrispin @sterlingcrispin on x
@benedictevans Do you remember Myanmar's genocide incited on Facebook? How about the 2016 US election or QAnon? These idealistic fantasies about unhindered speech unyielding to conformity need to meet physical reality where Facebook is used to organize mas rape and murders.
@ninadschick Nina Schick on x
Facebook bans one type of genocide denial. 😑 https://twitter.com/...
@ourobororoboruo Frankie goes to Hades on x
This is very fine dystopia satire material https://twitter.com/...
@rmac18 @rmac18 on x
Justin Timberlake: “A million dollars isn't cool, you know what's cool?” Michael Cera: ... Justin Timberlake: “Denying genocides that aren't the Holocaust.”
@howarda_esq Howard on x
And is still permitted on Twitter today. https://twitter.com/...
@robinwauters Robin Wauters on x
All genocides are equal, but some genocides are more equal than others. https://twitter.com/...
@mattschrader_dc Matt Schrader on x
Big day for Xinjiang denialists! https://twitter.com/...
@gadyepstein Gady Epstein on x
Imagining a notification if you try to deny the Holocaust where FB apologizes for the inconvenience and helpfully provides a drop-down menu of other genocides you can safely deny https://twitter.com/...
@althomelandsec @althomelandsec on x
Don't get it twisted, while this should have been done a long time ago, this will not solve any problems. Facebook will still be a bastion for dangerous speech until they solve the real problems with their platform. https://twitter.com/...
@benedictevans Benedict Evans on x
1996 versus 2020: when idealism collides with human beings. https://twitter.com/...
@slpng_giants @slpng_giants on x
We should not be entrusting the movement of much of the world's communications to one person, let alone one with horrendous decision-making skills, a lack of human understanding, a deep hole where empathy is supposed to be and a massive financial stake in keeping things as-is. ht…
@oliverdarcy Oliver Darcy on x
Zuckerberg now says his “own thinking has evolved” on the issue as he's “seen data showing an increase in anti-Semitic violence.” https://www.facebook.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@oneunderscore__ Ben Collins on x
I'll ask the unasked question here: How much of this is Facebook waking up to Biden +12, +11, +14 polls and frantically reversing course, realizing they were bracing for a pro-Trump regulatory posture until 2024 and had no real backup plan? https://about.fb.com/...
@jgreenblattadl Jonathan Greenblatt on x
This has been years in the making. Having personally engaged with @Facebook on the issue, I can attest the ban on Holocaust Denial is a big deal. Whether it's @ADL & #StopHateForProfit's insistence, #NoDenyingIt-it doesn't matter. Glad it finally happened. https://finance.yahoo.c…
@kurtwagner8 Kurt Wagner on x
FB says denying the holocaust is against the rules. Zuckerberg very publicly defended this content a few years ago to show how much he believed in free speech Zuck says his thinking has evolved w/ data showing an increase in anti-Semitic violence https://www.vox.com/... https://t…
@oliviasolon Olivia Solon on x
Zuck just made an honest mistake https://twitter.com/...
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
Well this is a much needed switch and at 180 turn from what Zuckerberg told me about Holocaust denial just 2 years ago: https://www.vox.com/... https://about.fb.com/...
@rmac18 @rmac18 on x
How it started: How it's going: https://twitter.com/...
@waxpancake Andy Baio on x
16 years after Facebook launched, two years after Zuckerberg explicitly said Facebook wouldn't remove holocaust denial posts, and two months after researchers found Facebook's algorithm was actively recommending holocaust denial content to some users. https://twitter.com/...
@kevinroose Kevin Roose on x
The absence of an apology here is notable. Also absent: any acknowledgement that allowing Holocaust denial on Facebook may have contributed to those trends in anti-Semitic violence he's now citing. https://twitter.com/...
@rashadrobinson Rashad Robinson on x
Facebook has the power to address disinformation and hate on their platform. They're just using it poorly. The right question isn't ‘Should Facebook do more or less?’ but ‘How is Facebook enforcing its rules, and who is set up to benefit from that?’ https://www.newyorker.com/...
@zackwhittaker Zack Whittaker on x
Imagine working for a company that actively allowed Holocaust deniers on its platform. https://techcrunch.com/...
@oliverdarcy Oliver Darcy on x
Flashback to 2018 when Zuckerberg told @karaswisher, “I'm Jewish, and there's a set of people who deny that the Holocaust happened. I find that deeply offensive. But at the end of the day, I don't believe that our platform should take that down...” https://www.vox.com/...
@brooklynmarie Brooke Binkowski on x
I'm not generally much of a crier but this made me just want to gnash my teeth and weep in frustration https://twitter.com/...
@newyorker @newyorker on x
Mark Zuckerberg often invokes the lofty ideals of free speech, but his actions make more sense when viewed as an outgrowth of his business model. Facebook's incentive is to keep people on the platform—including strongmen and their most avid followers. https://nyer.cm/bbhby6Q
@donie Donie O'Sullivan on x
Two years from now: Facebook will announce its banning politicians from lying in targeted ads.
@ashalogos Asha Logos on x
‘For profit’..? Are there really people making fortunes discussing the holocaust on Facebook? What a clever frame. If you're going to fight to prevent freedom of speech and open discussion, at least have the decency to be honest about the ‘why’ https://twitter.com/...
@patrickgaspard Patrick Gaspard on x
Holocaust denial seemed to be good for business until Zuckerberg read the polling averages for Biden. A policy update isn't enough. It's time to address a business model that has allowed hate to flourish on their platforms, valuing revenue over human lives and democracy. https://…
@newyorker @newyorker on x
.@andrewmarantz reports on Facebook's inability or unwillingness to stamp out the hate speech and disinformation that is rampant on its platform. https://www.newyorker.com/...
@marietjeschaake Marietje Schaake on x
It took 14 years but #stophateforprofit has finally broken the free speech mantra > Facebook bans Holocaust denial, distortion posts ↘️ https://apnews.com/...
@bruce_arthur Bruce Arthur on x
Just wait until 2027 when they reverse their stance on inciting local genocides https://twitter.com/...
@tomcoates Tom Coates on x
The thing that pisses me off about this more than anything else is that the moderation and content policies of the most vulnerable people on the planet are at the whim of a billionaire who no matter his background cannot possibly identify with the most vulnerable in society. http…
@rmac18 @rmac18 on x
Looking at Facebook's change in Holocaust policy today, you have to remember how much of an embarrassment it became for the co in the first place. In 2018, Zuckerberg gave an interview in which he specifically used Holocaust denial as an example of how FB stood for free speech. h…
@ruskin147 Rory Cellan-Jones on x
Anyone spot a pattern here? Zuckerberg's thinking always seems to “evolve” only after the damage is done https://twitter.com/...
@hshaban Hamza Shaban on x
One of the most insightful essays I've ever read about confronting bad-faith actors and how propaganda “works” in online media, from people who deal with this every day. This is the first sentence: “There can be no debate with Holocaust deniers.” https://slate.com/...
@emilygorcenski Emily Gore-Censki on x
“After much thought, and a careful examination of the data, I have decided to stop throwing puppies off of cliffs. It's not always straightforward to determine what's right, so I expect you will give me unending praise, except for the puppy-off-cliff-brigade, who I let down.” htt…
@shannonfreshour @shannonfreshour on x
Partly but they are also reacting to the House Dems call this week to break them up and the real threat of a big lawsuit verdict for providing a platform for domestic terrorists to plan and perform acts of violence, especially against govt entities and officials https://twitter.c…
@ekp Ellen K. Pao on x
It took 10 years for Facebook to take a stand against Holocaust denial and misinformation. 10 years. What did it? Holocaust survivors sharing their testimonials again, an advertising boycott, and lots of bad press. No advances in ethics or values though https://apnews.com/...
@slpng_giants @slpng_giants on x
Well, @facebook does have trouble denying one genocide: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@eladratson Elad Ratson on x
It took millions of user reports, thousands of research papers, hundreds of boycotting corporations, dozens of antisemitic assassinations and one #Rohingya genocide for @Facebook to finally remove holocaust denial from its platform. #MarkZuckerberg is a slow learner! https://twit…
@mcmillen Colin McMillen, Ph.D. on x
Absolutely. One of the first things Facebook, Google, and Amazon did after the Trump election was to cozy up to him. Does nobody remember this picture? https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@brooklynmarie Brooke Binkowski on x
I'm going to go with “all of it.” It seems to me that this is what happens when you start to believe your own stupid hype about being able to influence human behavior at scale. Permission =/= persuasion. https://twitter.com/...
@alongsidewild David Steen, Ph.D. on x
Could have done this on day one. https://about.fb.com/...
@kevinroose Kevin Roose on x
The Social Network 2: You Can Still Deny Other Genocides https://twitter.com/...
@auschwitzmuseum Auschwitz Memorial on x
Facebook will update it's hate speech policy. It will ban posts that deny or distort the Holocaust & will direct people to authoritative sources if they search for information about the Nazi genocide. https://apnews.com/...
@caseynewton Casey Newton on x
The “Facebook only banned Holocaust denial because Biden is up in the polls” crew needs to account for the fact that Trump and Biden have identical content policies (repeal Section 230)
@amyspitalnick Amy Spitalnick on x
This is another way of saying that Holocaust denial has been allowed on Facebook for years. https://finance.yahoo.com/...
@joffaloff Justin D. Joffe on x
Hard to believe this is just happening now https://twitter.com/...
@brianbeutler Brian Beutler on x
Says a lot about both Zuck and Trump that Zuck lashed himself to “Holocaust denial” when it was at least even odds that Trump would win re-election, but has developed second thoughts about “Holocaust denial” in October 2020. https://twitter.com/...
@amy_siskind Amy Siskind on x
It took until October 2020 for Mark Zuckerberg to ban content denying the Holocaust. This man and this platform are trash! https://www.cnbc.com/...
@sachabaroncohen Sacha Baron Cohen on x
Good news—another win for #StopHateForProfit: Facebook should have banned Holocaust denial long ago, but better late than never. @YouTube, @Twitter, @reddit, @Google—this is not a hard call. Those who deny the Holocaust aim to perpetrate another! https://www.cnbc.com/...
@chrisinsilico @chrisinsilico on x
This is obviously a needed development. But praising Facebook for finally banning Holocaust deniers after years doing literally nothing to stop the problem is like applauding an oil company for finally cleaning up its own oil spill. https://www.cnbc.com/...
@cwarzel Charlie Warzel on x
i am glad that mark zuckerberg is evolving on his thoughts after 16 years of being chill with holocaust deniers but also https://www.nytimes.com/...
@hannahgais Hannah Gais on x
the tree of life shooting was nearly two years ago. https://twitter.com/...
@jacobwolf Jacob Wolf on x
I'm not Jewish but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how common anti-Semitism, or prejudice towards any non-Christian faith, exists in the Western world. Sort of insane it took this long to deal with this. https://twitter.com/...
@ejdickson Ej Dickson on x
Anti-Semitic violence surged 57% in 2017. It hit an all-time high in 2019, per the ADL. Explain to me why Facebook didn't take action against Holocaust denialism years ago? Why is this happening now? https://twitter.com/...
@ericajoy Erica Joy on x
MESSAGE! it is not a coincidence that 8 years of D&I focus in tech was during the 8 years obama was in the white house. look for all the freeze peach and “no politics” CEOs to “realize” the importance of “ensuring hate doesn't have a place on their platform” if biden wins. https:…
@pinboard @pinboard on x
The problem here is not the substance of Zuckerberg's decision, but the rule by bro. Zuck's “thinking has evolved” on a specific kind of hate speech. Great! But it's a big world, and Facebook sets policy in dozens of countries, not all of which benefit from his mental attention h…
@erickfernandez Erick Fernandez on x
They easily could have made these changes AT ANY POINT after 2016. The fact that they are doing it right now, mere weeks before the 2020 election with Trump appearing to be in bad shape polls-wise is so telling. https://twitter.com/...
@joesudbay Joe Sudbay on x
Thinking the same thing. Zuck really sidled up to Trump with the help of Joel Kaplan (the guy who also helped Kavanaugh get on SCOTUS.) They chose their side and payback could - and should - be a bitch https://twitter.com/...
@ambdana Dana Shell Smith on x
Which begs the question, why did Facebook allow Holocaust denial content on its platform in the first place? https://twitter.com/...
@armandondk Armando on x
Too late. Break it up. https://twitter.com/...
@jakedavewebster @jakedavewebster on x
I said months ago basically that against all polling-based evidence that Zuckerberg and other tech-Bros continued to think that Trump was an electoral Svengali and would win an easy reelection. https://twitter.com/...
@campuscodi Catalin Cimpanu on x
After all the teens left for TikTok and all you're stuck with is QAnon and extremist groups, I guess you finally see the error in your ways https://twitter.com/...
@lainnafader Lainna Fader on x
“There are reportedly 500+ employees in Facebook's P.R. department. These days, their primary job is to insist that Facebook is a fun place to share photos and sell couches, not a vector for hate speech, misinformation, and violent extremist propaganda.” https://www.newyorker.com…
@laurenpeikoff Lauren Peikoff on x
So it took until October 12, 2020. Awesome. Great. Facebook bans Holocaust denial, distortion posts https://apnews.com/...
@s_m_i Stacy-Marie Ishmael on x
I wonder what the data shows about the digital vectors that contributed to the increase in anti-Semitism https://twitter.com/...
@stevekovach Steve Kovach on x
“Reverses stance on Holocaust denial” is not an ideal headline for Facebook. You could argue that at least they changed their mind. But the fact that Zuckerberg was explicitly defending it as recently as two years ago... https://www.cnbc.com/...
@sarahfrier Sarah Frier on x
Civil rights groups have been pushing Facebook to make this change for years. It's “a big deal,” says ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt https://twitter.com/...
@alexhern Alex Hern on x
At the very least, Facebook needs to consider - and ideally, fund a significant amount of impartial research into - the extent to which its former policies are a direct cause of these problems. https://twitter.com/...
@alexhern Alex Hern on x
I really try not to criticise Facebook for doing the right thing. Improvements are to be celebrated, not condemned. But the company owes some contrition here, and can't simply get away with declaring “we now realise this might be bad” *in the year 2020*.
@matthew_feldman Matthew Feldman on x
Really proud to see this, and that @C4ARR's research has played a part in removing this poison from Facebook. https://twitter.com/...
@jlc_uk Jewish Leadership Council on x
This is very welcome from @Facebook and something Jewish communities around the world have been arguing for some time. https://twitter.com/...
@cotlerwunsh @cotlerwunsh on x
Very pleased to see this important step taken today by @Facebook in combatting #antisemitism on its platform. With over 2 billion users, it is imperative that Facebook continue to take such steps in combatting online hate. @sherylsandberg https://about.fb.com/...
@brianwhelanhack Brian Whelan on x
I first reported Holocaust Denial videos autoplaying after the content I was publishing in 2016. This is one of the biggest companies in the world... https://twitter.com/...
@juddlegum Judd Legum on x
Buried lead: Holocaust denial content has been permitted on Facebook UNTIL TODAY https://twitter.com/...
@w7voa Steve Herman on x
“Today we are updating our hate speech policy to prohibit any content that denies or distorts the Holocaust,” announces @Facebook. https://twitter.com/...
@janoschdelcker Janosch Delcker on x
Facebook announced to update its hate speech policy and that it will ban content denying or distorting the Holocaust. That's big. https://about.fb.com/...
@honestreporting @honestreporting on x
Excellent news. @Facebook has just announced it has updated its hate speech policy and will now be removing content that denies or distorts the Holocaust following consultation with organizations in Israel and around the world about fighting antisemitism. https://about.fb.com/...
@adrianweckler Adrian Weckler on x
Big: Facebook will now remove Holocaust denial content. Reversal as Zuck was against it in 2018. But cites recent US survey of adults aged 18-39: “Almost a quarter said they believed the Holocaust was a myth, exaggerated or they weren't sure.” https://about.fb.com/...
@daveyalba Davey Alba on x
Finding: The growth rate of interactions w/ deceptive outlet content is higher than the growth rate of interactions of other web content on FB (for “web content,” researchers used @NewsWhip reports, which is data based straight out of the Facebook API) https://www.nytimes.com/...
@hshaban Hamza Shaban on x
Worth revisiting this persuasive essay from 2018, when Zuckerberg said Facebook wouldn't always ban Holocaust deniers. Written by a moderator of the AskHistorians subreddit, experts have long known this: “debating” denialists is the goal of denialists https://slate.com/...
@slpng_giants @slpng_giants on x
Imagine being proud to announce this after providing a massive platform for it for years. https://twitter.com/...
@hshaban Hamza Shaban on x
July 2018 / October 2020 https://twitter.com/...
@kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x
Facebook is now clear: What's said on its services translates to the real world. It moves from “We don't want to be the arbiter of truth” to “Our decision is supported by the well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally.” https://about.fb.com/...
@jasonabbruzzese Jason Abbruzzese on x
Mark Zuckerberg once pretty famously used Holocaust denialism as a line the company did not want to cross: https://www.vox.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@pranavdixit @pranavdixit on x
Only took until 2020. https://twitter.com/...
@jyarow Jay Yarow on x
This is a reversal of the previous position held by the CEO. https://twitter.com/...

Chronicles

Facebook says its new policy that bans the denial or distortion of the Holocaust does not apply to other genocides, such as the Armenian or Rwandan genocides

Related Coverage

Discussion