Social Media

Facebook, IG to Overlook Sensitive Posts Against Russia by Ukrainians and Poles

Published

3 years ago

March 11, 2022

Meta platforms, Facebook and Instagram will overlook certain sensitive and ‘violence-inciting posts’ from Ukraine and Poland that are targeted to Russia’s Military and Vladimir Putin.

This update was per Reuters also disclosed that the platforms will allow the content provided it is in context with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis that started in late February.

Speaking about this development, a spokesperson at Meta disclosed: “As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as ‘death to the Russian invaders.’ We still won’t allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.”

However, Investors King has gathered that the change in the terms of the social media platforms’ policy on hate speech and violence-inciting posts is only temporary and will only be overlooked in places like Poland and Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Russia.

Investors King has also gathered that Facebook and Instagram will allow posts that are calling for Putin’s death as well as Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, who is in full support and has offered aid to Russia since they invaded Ukraine. President Lukashenko has been in power since 1994 and is a strong ally of Putin.

However, while the company have given permission to this kind of post, they also disclosed that the posts will go through a review. Facebook and Instagram will only allow a post if they do not discuss other potential victims and do not contain “two indicators of credibility, such as the location or method.”

Meta also revealed that this is in no way a target to ordinary Russian civilians, pointing out that the use of ‘Russian Military’ is a proxy term relating to the invasion. “We are doing this because we have observed that in this specific context, ‘Russian soldiers’ is being used as a proxy for the Russian military. The Hate Speech policy continues to prohibit attacks on Russians,” the email to moderators also said.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a number of sanctions have been served Russia both diplomatic and socially and this one by Facebook and Instagram is another to take note of.

Reacting to this, the Russian ruler, Vladimir Putin has banned Facebook in Russia – playing into his warning against entities and countries that criticise his military action against Ukraine.