Malaysian PM's posts on Haniyeh's assassination were removed in error: Meta

In a similar incident in May, Meta restored Facebook posts by Anwar over his meeting with Haniyeh, saying they were taken down in error

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Ajai Sahni
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 06 2024 | 5:42 PM IST
Meta Platforms apologised on Tuesday for erroneously removing Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's social media posts in which he expressed condolences to a Hamas official about the assassination of the group's leader Ismail Haniyeh.



 
Meta was sorry for "an operational error", adding that the content had been restored with "the correct newsworthy label," a Meta spokesperson told Reuters.
 
The US social media giant designates Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that governs Gaza, as a "dangerous organisation" and bans content praising the group. It uses a mix of automated detection and human review to remove or label graphic visuals.
 
Anwar posted on Facebook and Instagram on July 31 a video recording of his phone call with a Hamas official to offer condolences over Haniyeh's death. He also posted a picture from his last meeting with Haniyeh in Qatar in May, along with a condolence message.
 
It was the second run-in Meta has had with the Malaysian government, which called the takedown of the posts unjust, discriminatory and a suppression of free speech. Malaysia's communications minister and members of the Prime Minister's Office met Meta representatives on Monday to seek an explanation.
 
In a similar incident in May, Meta restored Facebook posts by Anwar over his meeting with Haniyeh, saying they were taken down in error.
 
Muslim-majority Malaysia, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has warned that firm action could be taken against Meta and other social media companies if they blocked pro-Palestinian content on their platforms.




(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Topics :Budget

First Published: Aug 05 2024 | 3:55 PM IST

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