Meta's moderation changes ignite backlash over LGBT+ rights
The internet has been buzzing about the changes implemented by Meta in the United States regarding how moderators assess content. The company now permits calling LGBT+ individuals "mentally ill." The new guidelines have sparked major controversy.
On Tuesday, 7 December, Meta introduced changes to moderation rules that have outraged internet users, activists, and organisations advocating for queer people. The new guidelines will allow millions of social media users in the USA to accuse others of mental illness based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. In a statement to the press, the company openly noted: "We allow accusations of mental illness or abnormalities based on gender or sexual orientation."
Meta introduces controversial changes
While the company's new guidelines still prohibit insulting someone's intellect or accusing them of mental illness on Facebook, Instagram, or Threads, the revised rules do not protect against such comments towards, for example, the LGBT+ community.
The changes will also involve removing the rules prohibiting appearance insults based on race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and serious illness. Meta has also withdrawn rules that prohibited users of their apps from referring to transgender or non-binary people with the pronoun "it."
A storm erupted on the internet
Many internet users are heavily criticising the changes made by Meta in the United States. Even Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of the American organisation GLAAD, which advocates for LGBT+ rights, joined the discussion: "Without these necessary hate speech and other policies, Meta is giving the green light for people to target LGBTQ people, women, immigrants, and other marginalized groups with violence, vitriol, and dehumanizing narratives. With these changes, Meta is continuing to normalize anti-LGBTQ hatred for profit — at the expense of its users and true freedom of expression. Fact-checking and hate speech policies protect free speech."
