It wasn91裸聊视频檛 just that Meta scrapped from its platforms as it prepares for the second Trump administration. The social media giant has also loosened its rules around hate speech and abuse 91裸聊视频� again following the lead of Elon Musk91裸聊视频檚 X 91裸聊视频� specifically when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identity as well as immigration status.
The changes are worrying advocates for vulnerable groups, who say Meta91裸聊视频檚 decision to scale back content moderation could lead to real-word harms. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday that the company will 91裸聊视频渞emove restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are out of touch with mainstream discourse,91裸聊视频� citing 91裸聊视频渞ecent elections91裸聊视频� as a catalyst.
For instance, Meta has added the following to its rules 91裸聊视频� called 91裸聊视频� that users are asked to abide by:
91裸聊视频淲e do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like 91裸聊视频榳eird.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� In other words, it is now permitted to call gay people mentally ill on Facebook, Threads and Instagram. Other slurs and what Meta calls 91裸聊视频渉armful stereotypes historically linked to intimidation91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� such as Blackface and Holocaust denial 91裸聊视频� are still prohibited.
The Menlo Park, California-based company also removed a sentence from its 91裸聊视频減olicy rationale91裸聊视频� explaining why it bans certain hateful conduct. The now-deleted sentence said that hate speech 91裸聊视频渃reates an environment of intimidation and exclusion, and in some cases may promote offline violence.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭he policy change is a tactic to earn favor with the incoming administration while also reducing business costs related to content moderation,91裸聊视频� said Ben Leiner, a lecturer at the University of Virginia91裸聊视频檚 Darden School of Business who studies political and technology trends. 91裸聊视频淭his decision will lead to real-world harm, not only in the United States where there has been an uptick in hate speech and disinformation on social media platforms, but also abroad where disinformation on Facebook has accelerated ethnic conflict in .91裸聊视频�
Meta, in fact, that it didn91裸聊视频檛 do enough to prevent its platform from being used to 91裸聊视频渋ncite offline violence91裸聊视频� in Myanmar, fueling communal hatred and violence against the country91裸聊视频檚 Muslim Rohingya minority.
, a former engineering director at Meta known for his expertise on curbing online harassment, said while most of the attention has gone to the company91裸聊视频檚 fact-checking announcement Tuesday, he is more worried about the changes to Meta91裸聊视频檚 harmful content policies.
That91裸聊视频檚 because instead of proactively enforcing rules against things like self-harm, bullying and harassment, Meta will now rely on user reports before it takes any action. The company said it plans to focus its automated systems on 91裸聊视频渢ackling illegal and high-severity violations, like terrorism, child sexual exploitation, drugs, fraud and scams.91裸聊视频�
B茅jar said that91裸聊视频檚 even though 91裸聊视频淢eta knows that by the time a report is submitted and reviewed the content will have done most of its harm.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚 shudder to think what these changes will mean for our youth, Meta is abdicating their responsibility to safety, and we won91裸聊视频檛 the impact of these changes because Meta refuses to be transparent about the harms teenagers experience, and they go to extraordinary lengths to dilute or stop legislation that could help,91裸聊视频� he said.
