Meta has issued a formal apology for the inadvertent removal of social media posts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in which he offered condolences following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The company attributed the removal to an “operational error” and confirmed that the posts have been reinstated with an appropriate “newsworthy label,” as stated by a spokesperson.
Hamas, the Palestinian political and militant group governing Gaza, is classified by Meta as a “dangerous organization,” which leads to restrictions on content that praises or supports the group. Meta employs both automated systems and human review to manage content related to graphic or sensitive topics.
On July 31, Prime Minister Anwar shared a video on Facebook and Instagram of his call with a Hamas official, expressing his condolences. The posts also included a photograph from a recent meeting with Haniyeh in Qatar and a message of sympathy. This incident is the second instance where Meta has faced backlash from the Malaysian government, which has criticized the removal as unfair, discriminatory, and an infringement on free speech. In response to the incident, Malaysia’s communications minister and officials from the Prime Minister’s Office held discussions with Meta representatives to seek clarification.
This is not the first controversy involving Meta and Malaysian content. In May, similar issues arose when posts about Anwar’s meeting with Haniyeh were also mistakenly removed, leading to their subsequent restoration. Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim nation and a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, has warned of potential decisive actions against Meta and other social media platforms if they continue to restrict pro-Palestinian content.
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