Meta says erroneously removed Malaysia PM's posts on Haniyeh martyrdom
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Tech giant Meta claims that the posts made by Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim about Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's assassination were removed in error.
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The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP)
Meta Platforms issued Tuesday an apology for "mistakenly" removing social media posts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, which he had posted to express his condolences over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The company attributed the removal to an "operational error" and confirmed that the content had been restored with "the correct newsworthy label," one Meta spokesperson told Reuters.
The US social media giant classifies the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas as a "dangerous organization" and prohibits content that praises it. Meta employs a combination of automated detection and human review to remove or label graphic content.
Prime Minister Anwar shared a video on Facebook and Instagram on July 31, showing his phone call with a Hamas official, offering condolences for Haniyeh's martyrdom. Additionally, he posted a photo from his meeting with Haniyeh in Qatar in May, accompanied by a condolence message.
This incident marks the second time Meta has clashed with the Malaysian government over content removal. The government criticized the takedown of Anwar's posts as unjust, discriminatory, and an infringement on free speech. Malaysia's communications minister and members of the Prime Minister's Office met with Meta representatives on Monday to seek an explanation.
"It is also seen as an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people in their pursuit of justice and human rights," the Prime Minister's office stressed.
In a previous incident in May, Meta had also restored Facebook posts by Anwar concerning his meeting with Haniyeh, after they were mistakenly taken down.
Muslim-majority Malaysia, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has warned that it might take firm action against Meta and other social media companies if they block pro-Palestinian content on their platforms.
The Malaysian government announced Monday that it had met with Meta executives to seek an apology and an explanation for why posts concerning the killing of Ismail Haniyeh were removed from Prime Minister Anwar's social media accounts.
