Washington – Meta has announced that it will now remove posts using the term “Zionist” in conjunction with antisemitic tropes or dehumanizing rhetoric. This change is an extension of the company’s existing hate speech policies.
The decision follows an extensive investigation into the historical and current use of the term on social media, especially amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In a blog post, Meta stated, “We have determined that the existing policy guidance does not sufficiently address the ways people are using the term ‘Zionist’ online and offline. Going forward, we will remove content attacking ‘Zionists’ when it is not explicitly about the political movement, but instead uses antisemitic stereotypes, or threatens other types of harm through intimidation, or violence directed against Jews or Israelis under the guise of attacking Zionists.”
The new policy acknowledges that “Zionist,” which originally refers to the political movement for the creation of a Jewish state, is sometimes used negatively as a proxy for “Jew” or “Israeli.” Meta’s research and consultations with experts revealed this misuse.
Meta consulted with over 145 historians, civil rights groups, legal and human rights experts, and free speech advocates globally to reach this decision.
The use of “Zionist” will now be considered a violation of Meta’s terms if it is associated with antisemitic claims such as Jews controlling the world, derogatory comparisons of Jews to animals, calls for harm against Jews, or denial of Jewish existence. Meta also noted that its oversight board has been asked to provide guidance on moderating posts that use “proxy terms for nationality (including Zionists)” in accusations of war crimes.