Meta expands policy to remove posts misusing the word ‘Zionist’

Social media giant Meta will remove anti-Semitic content attacking ‘Zionists’ in a new policy update, a move welcomed by Australian Jews.

Mark Zuckerberg, chairman and chief executive of Meta, testifies to a US Senate committee earlier this year. Picture: AFP

Meta Platforms, chaired by Mark Zuckerberg, says it will ban derogatory or inflammatory references to “Zionists”, declaring the term had too often become a proxy for hate speech against Jews.

The social media giant, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said on Tuesday the changes would allow moderators to remove posts they deemed “anti-Semitic stereotypes’’, where violence or intimidation was directed against Israelis under the guise of attacking Zionists.

Under Meta’s hate-speech policy, users cannot attack people on inherent traits, such as race, ethnicity, religious affiliation and gender identity.

Existing rules already prohibit using the word “Zionist” to refer to Jews or Israelis in two narrowly defined situations, including “Zionists are war criminals”.

Meta said those rules didn’t account for the broad range of ways that people use the term.

“After hearing input and looking at research from different perspectives, we will now remove speech targeting “Zionists” in several areas where our process showed that the speech tends to be used to refer to Jews and Israelis with dehumanising comparisons, calls for harm, or denials of existence,” Meta said in a statement.

The policy change comes as tensions in the Middle East escalate amid the war on Gaza. Meta has already been criticised on how it handles content involving the war, with rights groups and Palestinian sympathisers accusing the company of suppressing content on both its platforms.

The leading body representing Jewish Australians has commended Meta for its latest policy change, saying the term “Zionists’’ was often used as a proxy for “Jews’’ to convey anti-Semitic hate speech.

ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim in Sydney. John Feder/The Australian.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-CEO Peter Wertheim told The Australian debate between the conflict of Israelis and Palestinians was welcome, but there was a line people should not cross.

“One of the most pernicious myths propagated by anti-Jewish groups in Australia is that the charge of anti-Semitism is used to suppress all criticism of Israel,” Mr Wertheim said.

“Robust debate about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is to be welcomed, but a line is crossed if that debate is used as an excuse to vilify, dehumanise or deny the right of national self-determination of either of the two peoples.”

ECAJ had previously raised concerns of Australia’s Online Safety Act, calling on the government to reform the legislation to better shield protected communities.

Meta’s policy amendments stipulate that posts containing the term “Zionist’’ will be removed if they invoke harmful anti-Semitic stereotypes, such as claims of Jewish control of institutions, dehumanisation of Jewish people, call for harm towards Jews, or deny the existence of Zionists.