The allegation that Facebook greenlit several ads inciting violence against Palestinians, some advocating for the murder of Palestinian civilians and activists, has surfaced in a recent report.
Materials shared with The Intercept unveiled that these ads, presented in both Hebrew and Arabic, flagrantly breached Facebook and Meta's policies.
Among the concerning content were explicit calls for the murder of Palestinian civilians, including demands for a 'holocaust for the Palestinians' and the annihilation of 'Gazan women, children, and the elderly,' as detailed in the report.
Additionally, some posts referred to children from Gaza as 'future terrorists' and used derogatory terms like 'Arab pigs'.
The approval of such ads has raised criticism, with Nadim Nashif, founder of the Palestinian social media research and advocacy group 7amleh, expressing disappointment: "Meta's failures towards the Palestinian people are evident in the approval of these ads, depicting a clear bias and discrimination."
Responding to the situation, a Facebook spokesperson admitted that the ads had been erroneously approved: "Despite our continuous efforts, instances occur where we miss or remove content mistakenly, acknowledging that errors can happen from both automated systems and human reviewers."
The spokesperson reassured that measures were taken to rectify the situation, highlighting the multi-tiered review process implemented, even after ads go live.
The ads violating Meta's policies were promptly taken down from the platform. They were initially placed by Ad Kan, a right-wing Israeli group formed by former Israel Defense Force and intelligence officers, aiming to counter 'anti-Israeli organizations'.
It's important to note that calling for the assassination of a political activist contravenes Facebook's advertising regulations.
(With Agency Inputs)
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