Facebook: Committee approves posts against paramilitary groups in Venezuela

Facebook and Instagram users post statements calling for the killing of members of Venezuelan paramilitary groups do not violate the content policies of these social networksThis is the conclusion reached by the Target Audit Committee in a statement published today (5).

The decision concerns two videos reported by internet users. subtitles call for violence against “collectives”As pro-government armed groups are known, one of them initially had a caption that has since been removed that read: “Kill these damn colectivos.”

The second showed a woman on Instagram telling alleged members of these groups: “Go to hell, I hope they kill you all.” Content kept onlineThe committee noted that this represented “a conditional or aspirational statement against a violent actor rather than a call to action.”

In addition to supporting Instagram’s decision not to remove this post, The board decided to delete the first video made by Facebook also puts forward the same reasoning.

In other words, it should also be interpreted as an “aspirational statement” that expresses hope, not a call for violent action.

Similar decisions have been taken before.

As the Meta Moderation Committee explains, users of major tech platforms may issue vague wishes for the killing of collective membersHowever, posts that include specific threats against Venezuelan paramilitary groups are prohibited.

The organization also commented that the country’s current context was taken into consideration. The existence of few channels for free expression and the role of collectives in violently repressing protestersHe also noted that Venezuela had recently gone through a turbulent election process.

The Council has made similar decisions on other occasions, allowing the publication of posts calling for violence against certain political actors, including the Supreme Leader of Iran. Ali Khameneiand the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.