"Meta Oversight Board Urged to End Ban on 'Shaheed' and Address Discriminatory Censorship"

The Oversight Board overseeing Meta's content moderation is urging the company to relax its ban on the Arabic word "shaheed," arguing that the blanket ban has led to widespread censorship of Arabic-speaking and Muslim communities. The board recommends that Meta only remove content containing "shaheed" when it is tied to clear signs of violence or breaks other rules, rather than using a blunt method that disproportionately restricts freedom of expression. However, Jewish and Israeli groups warn that changing the policy could increase antisemitic content on Meta's platforms, and there are concerns that the policy shift could lead to more hate speech and violent threats on the platform.