Facebook Oversight Board: Fucking Chinese Referring to Chinese Government Not Forbidden by Facebook Rules Reason.com

Therefore, given that the profanity did not target people based on race, ethnicity, or national origin, but targeted a state, the Board concludes it does not violate Facebook’s Hate Speech Community Standard. It is crucial to ensure that prohibitions on targeting people based on protected characteristics not be construed in a manner that shields governments or institutions from criticism. The Board recognizes that anti-Chinese hate speech is a serious concern, but this post references the Chinese state&.

During the Board’s deliberation regarding this case, Facebook updated its Hate Speech Community Standard to provide more information on how it prohibits “concepts” related to protected characteristics in certain circumstances. This new rule states Facebook “require[s] additional information and/or context” for enforcement and that users should not post “Content attacking concepts, institutions, ideas, practices, or beliefs associated with protected characteristics, which are likely to contribute to imminent physical harm, intimidation or discrimination against the people associated with that protected characteristic.”

Sounds like a good step to me, whatever one thinks of Facebook’s speech restrictions more broadly. For a similar American controversy, at the University of San Diego law school, see here.

via reason.com

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H/t PC.