Meta decided to accept the recommendation of the oversight board to update its policy regarding the word "Shahid," so that it is perceived as a neutral word. Its removal from Meta's social media (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) will depend on the context in which it appears.
At the beginning of March 2023, Meta requested assistance from experts on the policy regarding the word "Shahid." Meta prohibits advertisements by organizations or individuals engaged in violence, such as terrorists or hate groups, as well as content that includes praise, substantial support, or representation of such groups. Therefore, it has treated the word "Shahid" as praise for terrorists and removed content containing it in this context.
However, this word can be interpreted differently in various cultures, religions, and languages. Meta feared that this approach might lead to unjustified removals of content that was never intended to support terrorism or glorify violence. According to Wikipedia, the word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr".
According to Meta, before the council discussion, comprehensive research was conducted among researchers and international organizations, including linguists, counter-terrorism experts, and political scientists, as well as civil society organizations.
The board recommended allowing the use of the word "Shahid" in all cases unless the text content violates the company's policy or includes elements of violence including a visual description of weapons, a statement of intent, or support for the use of weapons, or reference to a specific violent event.
The oversight board overseeing Meta was established in 2020 by the company's CEO (then Facebook), Mark Zuckerberg. The goal was to validate the company's decisions regarding the content. Council members are not employed by Meta and are funded by an independent foundation. The 20 council members come from 17 different countries, including Former Director General of the Ministry of Justice of Israel Emi Palmor.
Meta has often sparked controversy during conflicts and wars in the past two years, including the war between Israel and Hamas, and the Ukraine-Russia War. The company has often tried to maintain neutrality even at the cost of contradicting judgments. In February, the situation escalated to the point that it decided to cancel the promotion of political content on its networks.