Facebook, YouTube, Twitter Agree to Common Definition of ‘Hate Speech’

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 29: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies via video conference duri
Graeme Jennings - Pool/Getty Images

The social media giants — Facebook, Google’s YouTube, and Twitter — have, under pressure from the advertising industry, agreed to a set of “common definitions” for allegedly “hateful” and “harmful” content and to “harmonize” reporting standards for such content across the industry.

This agreement amongst the Masters of the Universe means that the top social media platforms will no longer differ significantly from each other on hate speech enforcement. If you’ve been censored for “hate speech” on Facebook, expect to be censored on all the other platforms as well.

The agreement came after sustained pressure against Facebook by the advertising industry, which has engaged in a months-long boycott of the platform.

Via Reuters:

Advertisers have complained for years that big social media companies do too little to prevent ads from appearing alongside hate speech, fake news and other harmful content. Big tech companies, meanwhile, want to be seen as taking action on the issue to fend off calls for more regulation.

Under the deal, announced on Wednesday by the World Federation of Advertisers, common definitions would be adopted for forms of harmful content such as hate speech and bullying, and platforms would adopt harmonised reporting standards.

Carolyn Everson, Vice President for Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook, said the agreement “has aligned the industry on the brand safety floor and suitability framework, giving us all a unified language to move forward on the fight against hate online.”

Breitbart News will continue to report on social media’s uneven enforcement of policies, included so-called “hate speech.”

Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. His upcoming book, #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election, which contains exclusive interviews with sources inside Google, Facebook, and other tech companies, is currently available for purchase. 

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.