KUALA LUMPUR: Meta has expressed apology for mistakenly removing Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s social media posts, where he expressed condolences to a Hamas official following the assassination of the group’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Meta attributed the removal to an “operational error” and stated that the content had been restored with the appropriate “newsworthy label,” according to a spokesperson.
The U.S. social media giant classifies Hamas, the Palestinian movement governing Gaza, as a “dangerous organization” and prohibits content that praises the group, Reuters reported. Meta employs a combination of automated detection systems and human review to manage graphic content.
On July 31, Anwar posted a video on Facebook and Instagram of his phone call with a Hamas official, expressing condolences over Haniyeh’s death, along with a picture from his last meeting with Haniyeh in Qatar in May and a condolence message. This incident marked the second time Meta faced criticism from the Malaysian government, which deemed the removal of the posts as unjust, discriminatory, and a suppression of free speech. Following the takedown, Malaysia’s communications minister and members of the Prime Minister’s Office met with Meta representatives on Monday to demand an explanation.
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In a previous incident in May, Meta had similarly restored Facebook posts by Anwar regarding his meeting with Haniyeh, acknowledging that they were removed in error. Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country and a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, has warned that it may take decisive action against Meta and other social media companies if they continue to block pro-Palestinian content on their platforms.
