Meta Platforms is revising its hateful conduct policy, allowing more content that was previously deemed harmful. Critics argue that this change will lead to increased hate speech and real-world dangers for LGBTQIA+ individuals and women.
Meta says it is changing its hateful conduct policy to allow more free speech on its platforms. The changes mean LGBTQIA+ people can be described as 'mentally ill,' and women can be referred to as 'household objects' without the platform deleting the content. There are concerns less protection for marginalised people will lead to more hate speech and real world impacts on the community.
Social media giant Meta will now allow allegations of 'mental illness' or 'abnormality' based on gender or sexual orientation on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. It also will now allow women to be referred to as 'household objects', and for content arguing in favour of 'gender-based limitations of military, law enforcement, and teaching jobs'. Meta has justified the changes by saying its rules had become too restrictive and prone to over-enforcement. 'We're getting rid of a number of restrictions on topics like immigration, gender identity and gender that are the subject of frequent political discourse and debate,' it said in a statement. 'It's not right that things can be said on TV or the floor of Congress, but not on our platforms.' Lucinda Nelson, a social media researcher at the Queensland University of Technology, said marginalised people, like those in the LGBTQIA+ community, needed more protection not less. 'What is the point of having rights when you don't uphold them when there's a threat to these marginalised populations?' Ms Nelson said. 'When trans rights and queer rights are under attack in political discourse, that's when they've chosen to pull away and reduce protections for these populations. 'So basically what it's saying is that if people are talking about trans rights or homosexuals is that it's OK to use exclusionary or insulting language because that's a political topic.'Transgender woman Chelsea Morrigan said they were not surprised by the changes, which come afterMeta released a statement saying a technical error was to blame.Growing up in regional Queensland, the local Rockhampton artist said they had received multiple death threats both in person and online related to their gender and identity, which left them fearing for their safety.'Things can change very quickly from just online harassment to suddenly not being able to see a doctor or go to the toilet in public,' they said. Equality Australia legal director Heather Corkill said the changes would have real world impacts on the LGBTQIA+ community across the country. 'LGBTQIA+ communities have to work twice as hard to be included and often face hate and even violence for being who we are,' she said. 'It's shocking to see Meta's changes to their hateful conduct policy give the go-ahead to spreading hateful and demeaning comments about LGBTQIA+ people.') A spokesperson for federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said social media companies like Meta were expected to comply with Australian law and all people were entitled to respect, equality and freedom from harm online. 'The Criminal Code Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2024 will criminalise the most serious kinds of hateful communication, including online, being those that create real risks of force or violence against groups and individuals,' the spokesperson said.Administrators of groups where this content is posted can also be liable. Australians can make complaints to the eSafety Commissioner, which has the power to investigate content harming the physical or mental health of the person targeted, including cyberbullying.Online crimes can also be reported to police. But with these existing measures in place, trans people like Chelsea are still subject to hateful comments online regularly.'There was a lot of things that were straight up hate speech and every time you reported it , it would say, 'It doesn't go against our community guidelines.''The social media giant announced the move was to increase freedom of speech across its platforms.'This kind of approach to freedom of speech, where you let people say hate speech effectively, comes at a cost to the freedom of speech of other people,' they said.
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