Facebook users are permitted to praise mass murderers and “violent non-state actors” in certain situations, according to internal guidelines that underline how the tech corporation is striving to operate in repressive regimes. Crimes not recognised by Facebook include “claims about sexuality”, “peaceful protests against governments” and “discussing historical events/controversial subjects such as religion”. Facebook argues this is the only way it can function in countries where the rule of law is shaky. According to Facebook sources, the company recognised that in complex conflicts some violent non-state actors provided key services and engaged in negotiations with governments. A Facebook spokesperson said: “We don’t allow anyone to praise violent actions and we remove content that represents or supports the organisations we ban under our policies.

Source: The Guardian March 23, 2021 15:01 UTC