Meta to check 'anti-Zionist' content on Instagram & Facebook

California: Tech giant Meta informed on Tuesday that it has decided to remove posts that label Jews as "Zionists" in the latest update to its policy, Agence France-Presse reported.

According to The Express Tribune, Meta claimed to have updated its policy over the use of "Zionist" in many of its social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram in its aim to keep the balance between free speech and hateful attacks on Jews.

Meta said in a blog post, "We will now remove content that targets 'Zionists' with dehumanising comparisons, calls for harm, or denials of existence on the basis that 'Zionist' in those instances often appears to be a proxy for Jewish or Israeli people."

From the new move, what can be understood is Meta's new approach of referring to antisemitic imagery or clear references against Jewish people as hate speech. It said that it would remove content that attacked Jews and stereotypic claims that Jews run the world or control the media.

Earlier this month, Meta announced that it was modifying its hate speech policy and was taking a nuanced approach when it comes to whether the use of the Arabic word "shaheed" is hate speech. The literal meaning of the word is 'martyr'.

The Express Tribune reports that according to Meta board member Paolo Carozza, an independent oversight board referred to as a top court for Meta content moderation challenges had recommended the change and welcomed an easing of what has "effectively been a blanket ban" on the term "shaheed."