Warning: This article contains discussion of hate speech which some readers may find distressing.
Meta has made some major changes to its hate speech guidelines and will now permit users to say that LGBTQ people are ‘mentally ill’.
Similar to previous guidelines for Meta’s platforms, which includes Facebook, Instagram and Threads, users are prohibited from making insults about someone’s intellect or mental illness.
However, an amendment has been made to now allow billions of users to accuse others of being mentally ill based on their gender identity or sexuality.
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The guideline changes were made earlier this month and the new guidelines read: “We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like ‘weird’.”
Meta’s broader changes to how it moderates speech on its platforms will replace the firm’s fact-checking system, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Some of the changes to Meta’s guidelines on hate speech include the removal of rules that prohibit users from making insults on a person’s appearance based on disability, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, race, ethnicity, national origin, and serious disease.
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The company previously forbade its users from referring to transgender people as ‘it’ but this has since been scrapped.
In a statement, President and CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis, said: “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.”
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Speaking to Sky News, LGBTQ charity Stonewall revealed it has requested a meeting with Meta to raise concerns over the guideline changes.
Simon Blake, who is the CEO of the charity, said: “Online hate and disinformation damages how society views and treats marginalised groups, and undermines societal cohesion.
“Meta’s approach puts politics above people when many are already concerned about the toxicity of online discourse, risking furthering division instead of fostering community.”
These changes coincide with President Trump’s return to the White House after his inauguration took place earlier this week (January 20).
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Meta is one of multiple companies that donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund.
Other firms who also donated to the event include Amazon, Apple and OpenAI.
UNILAD Tech has contacted Meta for a comment.