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Meta shouldn’t remove ‘from the river to the sea’ as hate speech, says Oversight Board

Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and hold banners as they rally through the streets against the conflict in Gaza and the occupied West Bank on September 2nd, 2024, in New York City.
Photo by John Lamparski / AFP via Getty Images

Meta’s semi-independent Oversight Board says the company made the right call in letting Facebook users post pro-Palestine messages with the phrase “from the river to the sea.”

In a decision published today, the board concluded the slogan “has multiple meanings and is used by people in various ways and with different intentions.” Consequently, it shouldn’t be removed under hate speech policies unless it’s accompanied by other violating content — like explicitly antisemitic sentiments or praise for terrorist groups.

Following the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent retaliation by Israel, online service operators were faced with a flood of posts and videos related to the conflict, particularly posts that supported…

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