Tech giant Meta issued an apology on Tuesday for removing social media posts made by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim concerning the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
This apology came shortly after Anwar’s office summoned Meta representatives to explain the deletion of the leader’s Facebook and Instagram posts about Haniyeh’s death.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, acknowledged the error in a statement emailed to AFP.
“We apologise for an operational error where content from the Prime Minister’s Facebook and Instagram Pages were removed,” the statement read. “The content has since been restored with the correct newsworthy label.”
The controversy began when Anwar’s posts, which included a video showing him on a phone call with a Hamas official offering his condolences, were removed.
The posts were flagged due to Meta’s policies on associations with “dangerous individuals and organisations.”
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent leader of the Palestinian armed group Hamas, took place in Tehran on Wednesday.
The attack has been widely attributed to Israel, though Israeli officials have not made a direct comment on the incident.
Haniyeh’s death has heightened tensions in the Middle East, where Hamas has significant influence.
In response to Meta’s actions, Anwar’s office described the removal of the posts as “a blatant suppression of free expression” and demanded an apology from the tech company. Anwar himself criticized Meta’s decision, calling it an act of “cowardice.”
Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar in May, has defended Malaysia’s diplomatic ties with Hamas, emphasizing that these connections are with the group’s political wing, not its military arm.
During a visit to Germany in March, Anwar reiterated that Malaysia’s engagement with Hamas is strictly political.
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the balance between regulating content related to designated terrorist organizations and preserving freedom of expression on social media platforms.
Meta’s apology and the restoration of Anwar’s posts highlight the ongoing challenges tech companies face in navigating these complex issues.
Meta’s swift response to the Malaysian Prime Minister’s complaint shows the company’s commitment to addressing errors and maintaining transparency.
However, the situation also shows the need for clear guidelines and consistent application of policies to avoid similar issues in the future.