Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation appeals to Meta over its blocking of photo and video evidence of Russia’s war crimes on social media
DIANA KRECHETOVA – MONDAY, 1 AUGUST 2022
The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine has appealed to the company Meta with an open letter regarding its blocking of Ukrainian military content on social media.
The open letter has been posted on the official website of the Ministry.
When Ukrainian bloggers, journalists and activists post content about the full-scale war in Ukraine, it often gets blocked. Facebook and Instagram mark it as "sensitive".
"The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine team has been helping to unblock posts and accounts all this time, but it doesn’t solve the problem overall", states the Ministry.
Due to this the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine is asking the company Meta to:
- open up the rules for moderating Ukrainian content to Ukrainian users;
- share a list of forbidden words which social media algorithms deem unacceptable.
Mykhailo Fedorov, the head of the Ministry, has stated that this will prevent mass blockages.
"At a time when Russian propaganda is in the limelight, Ukrainian media posts have become sensitive content for the world. Social media is designed for telling the truth. But we can’t do it properly if social media policies are only suitable for peaceful times.
We understand Meta’s policy concerning hate speech, but we believe that blocking accounts and hiding posts is unfair. We know that Ukraine will win. But with your help it will happen even sooner," Fedorov stressed.
Background: Meta has explained why the company’s platforms deleted photos of mass killings in Bucha, Irpin and other cities of Ukraine, committed by the Russian occupiers.
Read also: Blocked websites and censorship. How can you get access to information in the occupied territories?
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