Meta reverses blanket ban on the word ‘Shaheed’

Meta's Oversight Board has directed the company to lift its blanket ban on the Arabic word "shaheed," meaning martyr in English.

The board emphasized that while Meta has historically viewed the term as a policy violation when associated with designated individuals, however, the word shaheed has several other uses that are non-violating.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, co-chair of the board, criticized the blunt approach, stating it hinders reporting on terrorist groups and may lead to erroneous content removal, especially concerning discussions about deceased loved ones.

“It is counterproductive to stop journalists from reporting on terrorist groups and to limit people’s ability to debate and condemn the violence they see around them just because of the presence of a single word”, said Helle.

The board recommended removing the word only when linked to clear signs of violence or violating Meta's policies.

This ruling follows years of criticism regarding Meta's content handling in the Middle East.

A 2021 study commissioned by Meta itself found that the company’s approach had an “adverse human rights impact” on “the rights of Palestinian users to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, political participation, and non-discrimination, and therefore on the ability of Palestinians to share information and insights about their experiences as they occurred.”

The board noted that since "shaheed" is widely used across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, lifting the ban would prevent unintentional removal of non-violating content.

Meta's 2020 policy review on moderating "shaheed" failed to produce a decision, prompting intervention by the board. Criticism escalated during the Israel-Hamas war, with users protesting content removals and account suspensions on Meta's platforms.

Thorning-Schmidt expressed concern that Meta's approach disproportionately affects communities in war zones like Gaza and Sudan, potentially hindering journalism and civic discourse.