Meta to lift ban on use of the word ‘shaheed’

Meta, the social media giant that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, said that the use of the word "shaheed" – Arabic for "martyr" – should be permitted in "all instances unless the content otherwise violates our policies or is shared with one or more of three signals of violence".

"Meta announced it will implement our key recommendations, effectively ending the blanket ban on the use of 'shaheed' to refer to designated dangerous organizations and individuals. This policy change aims for a more nuanced moderation of the term," the Meta oversight board said in a statement.

Rights groups have in the past accused Meta of systematically silencing and censoring pro-Palestine voices on their platforms. This issue has become particularly acute following Israel's war on Gaza.