Meta Oversight Board Urges Company To Lift Ban On Arabic Word 'Shaheed’

Meta's oversight board urged the company to lift its widespread prohibition on a typical usage of the Arabic term "shaheed," meaning "martyr" in English.

Following a year-long assessment, the board concluded that Meta's policy was excessively broad and had unjustly stifled the expression of millions of users.

As per the board, Meta's rules on "shaheed" failed to account for the word's variety of meanings and resulted in the removal of content not aimed at praising violent actions.

The board, funded by Meta but functioning autonomously, stated that the social media company ought to take down posts featuring the term "shaheed" solely when they are associated with explicit indications of violence.

After facing years of criticism regarding its management of Middle Eastern content, Meta's recent decision follows a 2021 study it commissioned, which highlighted an "adverse human rights impact" on Palestinians and other Arabic-speaking users.