Meta accused of removing Gaza content

Meta’s independent oversight board criticised the company on Wednesday for removing posts showing the suffering of civilians in Gaza.

The board was set up by Meta in 2020 as a supreme court of sorts for the tech giant.

It overturned two post removal decisions of the company.

One of the incidents was a removal by Instagram of a video showing the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza during a ground offensive by Israel.

In the video, Palestinians, including children, were depicted wounded or killed.

The board urged Meta to preserve any removed posts containing evidence of human rights violations.

According to the board, the usage of automated tools for content moderation on Meta’s platforms are the reason behind the removal of posts.

“These testimonies are important not just for the speakers, but for users around the world who are seeking timely and diverse information about ground-breaking events,” board member Michael McConnell said.

“Some of which could be important evidence of potential grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law,” he added.

According to Meta, the board’s content decisions are binding, however, its recommendations are not.