Meta softens rules

Women may be referred to as inventory

According to Facebook boss Zuckerberg, there have been too many restrictions in recent years.

(Bild: AFP)

In softening its hate speech rules in the USA, the Facebook group Meta has removed the explicit ban on referring to women as property or household inventory. At the same time, Meta generally points out that "dehumanizing" statements will be deleted. 

A new addition to the hate speech guidelines is that it is okay to call for restrictions on military, police or teaching jobs based on gender or sexual orientation. In future, it will also be permitted to speak of "mental illness or abnormality" in connection with homosexuality and transsexuality. However, Holocaust denial, among other things, remains prohibited on Meta's platforms.

In addition to Facebook, Meta also includes the photo and video app Instagram as well as WhatsApp and the short message service Threads. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had explained that there had been too many restrictions in recent years, which had led to censorship. Initially in the USA, the collaboration with fact-checkers is also to be terminated.

Zuckerberg hopes for pressure from Trump on the EU
In the EU, meanwhile, Meta's hands are tied in many respects. This is because the DSA (Digital Services Act) obliges online platforms to take action against hate speech and misinformation. Zuckerberg calls this "institutionalized censorship" and hopes that future US President Donald Trump will put pressure on the Europeans.