Meta is facing difficulties in moderating content related to the Israel-Palestine conflict, especially in Hebrew, despite recent updates to its internal policies.
Internal documents shared by a former Meta employee reveal while the company has a robust system to evaluate the effectiveness of its moderation for Arabic-language content, it lacks similar processes for Hebrew.
This disparity has raised concerns about bias and over-enforcement, particularly towards Arabic-language content, sparking criticism from Palestinian advocates.
Concerns Over Inequitable Moderation
The former Meta employee chose to remain anonymous due to fear of professional retaliation. They criticized the company’s policies, stating that they are inequitable and disproportionately impact Palestinian voices. These concerns are echoed by more than 200 Meta employees who signed a letter raising similar issues. The letter accuses Meta of censoring or penalizing workers who voiced concerns about the company’s moderation policies regarding Palestinian content.
Disparity in Content Moderation Systems
Meta has a system in place to track the accuracy of content moderation across various languages, including English, Spanish, and Arabic. However, the company lacks a “policy precision” measure for Hebrew-language content, primarily due to a shortage of human reviewers with expertise in Hebrew.
This has led to inconsistencies in how content is moderated between the two languages, with Arabic content being flagged and removed more frequently than Hebrew content.
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Criticism of Meta’s Approach
Critics argue Meta’s approach reflects a lack of understanding of the region and inherent bias. Nadim Nashif, founder of 7amleh, a Palestinian digital rights organization, stated that Meta’s policies favor Israel. He pointed out the company allows phrases like “boycott Arab stores” while removing similar statements directed at Jewish or Muslim businesses.
Meta’s Response to Criticism
Meta has faced backlash from various civil society organizations and activists who accuse the company of censoring pro-Palestinian content and being lenient towards anti-Palestinian hate speech. In response, Meta’s spokesperson, Tracy Clayton, stated the company takes these allegations seriously and emphasized that Meta has invested heavily in safety and security measures since 2016.
