Technology

58424 readers

4654 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

Facebook and Instagram Restrict the Use of the Red Triangle Emoji Over Hamas Association (theintercept.com)

submitted 14 hours ago by Linkerbaan@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

9 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Meta is restricting the use of the upside-down red triangle emoji, a reference to Hamas combat operations that has become a broader symbol of Palestinian resistance, on its Facebook and Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms, according to internal content moderation materials reviewed by The Intercept.

Since the beginning of the Israeli assault on Gaza, Hamas has regularly released footage of its successful strikes on Israeli military positions with red triangles superimposed above targeted soldiers and armor. Since last fall, use of the red triangle emoji has expanded online, becoming a widely used icon for people expressing pro-Palestinian or anti-Israeli sentiment. Social media users have included the shape in their posts, usernames, and profiles as a badge of solidarity and protest.

The symbol has become common enough that the Israeli military has used it as shorthand in its own propaganda: In November, Al Jazeera reported on an Israeli military video that warned “Our triangle is stronger than yours, Abu Obeida,” addressing Hamas’s spokesperson.

all 10 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] disguised_doge@kbin.earth 8 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

“user is clearly posting about the conflict and it is reasonable to read the red triangle as a proxy for Hamas and it is being used to glorify, support or represent Hamas’s violence.”

It sounds less bad than the title, not an outright ban on the emoji just a ban on using it as a proxy for otherwise banned ideas. Still not a fan of Meta's longstanding belief they're the arbitors of morality and what may be discussioned.

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

So will they also ban israeli flags?

[–] njordomir@lemmy.world 8 points 11 hours ago

Oh no a symbol is offensive. Better try and wipe it from the internet.

...removes millions of road signs and people drive off cliffs.

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 5 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

I don't agree with this, but I do find it idiotic and tone-deaf for pro-Palestinians to co-opt Hamas imagery and a symbol of violence as a show of support. It suggests they either explicitly support Hamas, or are too stupid to understand what they are displaying.

[–] MetaCubed@lemmy.world 26 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Now I might just be too stupid to understand what I'm displaying, but last I checked, the red triangle has been a symbol of pro-Palestinian support since the Palestinian Revolt in uhhhh... 1938. It's possible Hamas might have co-opted it, but then you might as well ban the Palestinian flag as well since that's the source of the triangle, and it has also existed since 1917, I'm failing to follow how this is a symbol of Hamas

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 5 points 12 hours ago

Because that's all most people remember so hasbara can call it that with decent effect