Meta to end ban on word ‘Shaheed’

Meta Platforms have announced that they will lift its blanket ban on the word shaheed after a year-long review by its oversight board. The social media giant found out that its approach was “overboard”.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been criticised for years over its handling of content involving the Middle East. A 2021 study Meta itself commissioned said that its appr­oach had an “adverse human rights impact” on Palest­inians and other Arabic-speaking users of its services.

Those criticisms have escalated since October 7.

Meta funded the oversight board, but it works independently. It started its review last year because the word accounted for more content removals on the company’s platforms than any other single word or phrase.