Facebook Refuses to Block Holocaust Denial

Facebook will not block Holocaust-denying content on its platform in countries where it remains legal, saying it is merely the expression of an opinion.  

Facebook will continue to allow Holocaust-denying content on its platform in countries where Holocaust denial is legal, a Facebook executive announced.

Israel’s NRG news reported Monday that Facebook’s head of policy in Israel, Jordana Cutler, in a letter to Member of Knesset (MK) Uri Maklev, wrote that Holocaust denial is illegal in Israel, and therefore such content is blocked for Israeli users as well as in other countries where it is illegal. However, where Holocaust denial is permitted, the social media platform will not block the content.

In the letter to Maklev, chairman of the Knesset’s committee on Science and Technology, Cutler explained that Facebook’s policy is to follow the lead of local governments and law, and that Holocaust denial will be available in several countries, even though it is “disturbing content.”

Facebook opposes many opinions expressed on its platform, she said. Furthermore, while Holocaust denial is based on lies, Facebook enables a discourse that could refute these historical fallacies.

Cutler believes that removing Holocaust-denying content, as well as content that mocks the Holocaust or glorifies its perpetrators, is not a good solution to the problem. “In some cases, instead of the removing and censoring of content, exposure and the condemnation of the lies and the narrow-mindedness are more significant to promoting the truth,” she asserted.

She also pointed out that Facebook does remove hate content, threats and Nazi symbols.

Maklev said he refused to accept such a stance.

By: World Israel News Staff