Olives @olives@qoto.org

On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the political moves which the company has made. We will have to see what happens. I suspect we might hear more in the coming days.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/01/eff-statement-metas-announcement-revisions-its-content-moderation-processes Since there have been enough comments on why this post isn't that good, maybe it's time to comment on why it's good.

I see quite a bit of discourse on free expression, which is frankly empty. For instance, "if only everyone used the fediverse, then we would live in a socialist utopia" or something, all the while ignoring how Facebook's algorithms censor people here in the real world (the fediverse has inter-instance censorship issues of it's own, although there aren't intrusive algorithms).

Facebook taking concrete steps to avoid relying on algorithms are real steps away from the techno-solutionist dream that Mark Zuckerberg has wrapped himself in for the past ten years (by his account, it might even be the past twenty years). They are not a dream. They are not an abstract concept. They are not a philosophical argument.

It didn't take long for me to pull up lots of examples of silly censorship on platforms (mainly focusing on Facebook).

https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/4/22519433/tiktok-intersex-ban-mistake-moderation-transparency "TikTok says the repeat removal of the intersex hashtag was a mistake"

https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/3/24311513/meta-content-moderation-mistakes-nick-clegg
We knew he was planning something a week ago, although there wasn't much to go on here (this mainly talks about the error rates of FB's algorithms / moderation processes).

Zuckerberg gets flack for so many things that you could almost substitute his name for the name Satan.

"It was Satan!"

"Zuckerberg!!"

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/07/technology/mark-zuckerberg-meta-free-speech.html
"Fed up with what has seemed at times to be unceasing criticism of his company, he has told executives close to him that he wants to return to his original thinking on free speech, which involves a lighter hand in content moderation."
To be fair, he has a point. He gets a lot of flack for things which don't really have anything to do with him. Also, in a bid to take responsibility for *everything*, he has built a big censorship apparatus which hits people for all kinds of petty things.

Zuckerberg is probably a good example of someone who created impossible expectations by prohibiting so many things.

On the other hand, copying Twitter's CN idea could be seen as a political gesture. Moving teams to Texas would definitely be seen as this.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/27/facebook-apologises-flagging-plymouth-hoe-offensive-term
"Plymouth Hoe is one of the most well-known sites in the UK’s seafaring history, the spot where Sir Francis Drake reputedly finished a game of bowls before heading out to fight the Spanish Armada.

But Facebook has found itself in hot water after challenging some posts from local people who innocently mentioned the Hoe, mistakenly thinking they were using a misogynist term."

Crucially, Facebook might attempt to justify restrictions on nudity (or other expressions) by conflating them with prostitution.

It of course could mean that they become less puritanical (for instance, they might instead focus on more important issues), which would be welcome news. Then again, if there is one thing Facebook has been very consistent about over the years, it is the puritanism.

It of course could mean that they become less puritanical (for instance, they might instead focus on more important issues), which would be welcome news. Then again, if there is one thing Facebook has been very consistent about over the years, it is the puritanism.

For instance, there was someone who imagined it might mean Facebook ceasing to be puritanical. There were also people who think Facebook will still be puritanical (I suspect they will still be puritanical).

Facebook's announcement seems to have turned into a Schrödinger's Policy which is simultaneously narrow and broad in people's minds.

Aha, he seems to have just said Texas in one spot. I'm going to go by the blog post though as it has more space for nuance.

Interesting novel plotline. A guy is thrown in a mental hospital but the things he is seeing are actually real but in another world. Also, the doctors are very abusive.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jun/15/facebook-blocks-bans-users-sharing-guardian-article-showing-aboriginal-men-in-chains
"Facebook has blocked and in some cases banned users who tried to share a Guardian article about the site incorrectly blocking an image of Aboriginal men in chains."

"The post was made in the context of the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, claiming there was no slavery in Australia, before he backed down on those comments a day later."

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/13/facebook-turkish-government-zed-books A strange case.

"Two individuals wrote that they were reported for posting about the return of graphic novelist Alison Bechdel’s celebrated Dykes To Watch Out For comic strip. One happened to be Holly Hughes, who is no stranger to censorship: She’s a performance artist and member of the infamous NEA Four. A gay man posted that he was banned for seven days after sharing a vintage flyer for the 1970s lesbian magazine DYKE, which was recently featured in an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York."

https://www.wired.com/story/facebooks-hate-speech-policies-censor-marginalized-users/
"As queer artists and activists who have challenged Facebook’s “real names” policy for three years, we’re alarmed by a new trend: Many LGBTQ people’s posts have been blocked recently for using words like “dyke,” “fag,” or “tranny” to describe ourselves and our communities."

"While these words are still too-often shouted as slurs, they’re also frequently “reclaimed” by queer and transgender people as a means of self-expression."