Facebook has an algorithm for suggesting content that may interest users. It actively promotes Holocaust denial pages. That is the finding of The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a UK-based counter-extremist organization, published in the Sunday Guardian newspaper.
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It found that by following public pages with Holocaust denial content Facebook recommends more. Facebook links additional pages pushing the same ideas. Worse, searching for the word “Holocaust” in Facebook’s search brings up suggestions for denial pages. Those pages then recommend links to publishers of revisionist and denial literature. They include those of British Holocaust denier David Irving, again that is according to the ISD.
Institute for Strategic Dialogue’s position
“Facebook’s decision to allow Holocaust denial content to remain on its platform is framed under the guise of protecting legitimate historical debate, but this misses the reason why people engage in Holocaust denial in the first place… Denial of the Holocaust is a deliberate tool used to delegitimize the suffering of the Jewish people and perpetuate long-standing anti-Semitic tropes, and when people explicitly do this it should be seen as an act of hatred…” Jacob Davey, ISD’s senior research manager told The Guardian.
IDS found 36 Facebook groups with 366,068 followers specifically dedicated to Holocaust denial or host content.
When the Facebook search algorithm pushes holocaust denial it advocates a position.
Holocaust denial content is also easily accessible on other social media platforms. It is available on Twitter, Reddit, and YouTube according to IDS. On Twitter, it found 19,000 items containing the denial phrase “Holohoax.” There were 2,300 items on Reddit. On YouTube, there were 9,500. All of the content creation came in the past two years.
On Twitter, among the top 20 most retweeted messages containing the phrase “Holohoax.” 14 include explicit Holocaust denial material. ISD’s position is, social media companies should do more to address the problem. Do you think holocaust denial is a problem? It is hate speech. Is hate speech a problem?
ISD research coordinator Jakob Guhl said, “Our findings show that the actions taken by platforms can effectively reduce the volume and visibility of this type of anti-Semitic content… These companies therefore need to ask themselves what type of platform they would like to be: one that earns money by allowing Holocaust denial to flourish, or one that takes a principled stand against it.”
Facebook response
The researchers noted that Reddit users themselves are effective at discrediting Holocaust denial. They work toward the banning of groups dedicated to the subject. They work alongside moderators deleting related comments. All of which helps reduce exposure to such content, the newspaper said.
A Facebook spokesperson told The Guardian, “We take down any post that celebrates, defends, or attempts to justify the Holocaust… The same goes for any content that mocks Holocaust victims, accuses victims of lying, spews hate, or advocates for violence against Jewish people in any way.”
“We also remove groups and pages that discuss Holocaust denial from recommendations and references to it in search predictions… While we do not take down content simply for being untruthful, many posts that deny the Holocaust often violate our policies against hate speech and are removed.”
“Striking the right balance between keeping people safe and allowing free speech is difficult and we know many people strongly disagree with our position… We are constantly developing and reviewing our policies and consulting with organizations around the world to ensure we’re getting it right.”
Results of pressure
Facebook is under pressure to fight abusive and deceitful content on its platform. There is a boycott by advertisers. Facebook is also fending off accusations it unfairly stifles politically conservative voices. Facebook search algorithm pushes Holocaust denial is a form of shaping public opinion.
Last week Facebook made an announcement it was banning conspiracy theories about Jewish people “controlling the world” from its platform. That and its Instagram media sharing site. The ban will cover “certain kinds of implicit hate speech.” It will include content depicting blackface, it said.
Is censorship by these platforms a good thing? Are these platforms or publishers? Which should they be legally?