New Delhi, July 3: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced that it will be lifting its ban on the word "shaheed" after a year-long review by its Oversight Board. The decision might be a part of Meta's efforts to refine its content policy and address concerns raised by its users. The change comes after a thorough review process lasting over a year. The ban, which was part of Meta's content policy, had been criticised for being overly restrictive.

According to a report of Zee News, Meta announced to remove the prohibition on using the term “shaheed” in its platforms following a year of review by its Oversight Board. The word called shaheed which means "martyr" in English was flagged because it could be misused leading to its ban under Meta’s content policy. The Board determined that Meta's prohibition of the word was excessively broad, which resulted in the unnecessary restriction of speech for millions of users in specific communities and regions. Meta AI Privacy Policy Banned in Brazil To Stop Company From Using Personal Data of Users To Train AI Systems: Reports.

The independently operating Oversight Board, although financially backed by Meta, initiated its examination last year. The Board observed that the term “shaheed” was responsible for a higher frequency of content removals on Meta's platforms than any other word or phrase. For a considerable period, Meta has been under scrutiny regarding its management of content associated with the Middle East. A study conducted in 2021, which was commissioned by Meta itself, revealed that the company's content moderation strategies negatively affected the human rights of Palestinians and other users who communicate in Arabic. Meta Updates AI Labels for AI-Generated Content, Replaces ‘Made by AI’ With ‘AI Info’ After Following Feedback From Oversight Board.

In March, Meta discovered through a review that its broad regulations on the term shaheed led to the inappropriate removal of content that did not endorse violence, as the term “shaheed” holds multiple meanings. The oversight board appreciated the change, highlighting that the previous policy on the term had resulted in widespread censorship across Meta's platforms.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2024 04:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).