Facebooks Zuckerberg says Kenoshas post did not violate call to arms policy
Facebook Inc chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told U.S. senators on Tuesday that a page that posted a “call to arms” during protests in Kenosha, Wis., In August did not violate the policy “d ‘call to arms’ of the company.
“My understanding is that this post did not necessarily violate that call for arms policy at the time,” Zuckerberg said, referring to calls from the Kenosha Guard asking people to “take up arms” and defend the city against “evil thugs”.
Muslim Advocates Executive Director Farhana Khera said Zuckerberg’s testimony directly contradicts what Facebook told civil rights organizations about how its “call to arms” policy applied to the Kenosha incident.
Facebook’s ever-evolving explanations of why the policy failed and how it works adds further evidence that the company is not serious about creating policies that will actually protect our security, she said. in a press release.
Facebook eventually deleted the Kenosha Guard page after two people were shot dead during the protests, claiming it violated a separate rule against “militia organizations.”
The Kenosha Guard also created an event on Facebook and warned police they would be “outnumbered.” BuzzFeed reported that Facebook has received 455 user reports reporting the event, but content moderators have determined that it does not violate company policies.
Zuckerberg called this inaction an operational error .
Facebook’s “call to arms” policy, announced last year with a scathing audit of the company’s civil rights, has banned events that advocate bringing weapons into places like schools and fireplaces. cult to harass others based on their identity.
A Facebook spokeswoman told Reuters the policy applies to certain protests, if they pose a high risk of violence, but declined to answer whether the company had designated Kenosha as high risk. .
Introducing the policy last year, COO Sheryl Sandberg said she banned “posts from people who intend to bring weapons anywhere to intimidate or harass others, or who encourage people to do the same “.
