this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2024
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108
Facebook and Instagram Restrict the Use of the Red Triangle Emoji Over Hamas Association (theintercept.com)
submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
21 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Meta is restricting the use of the upside-down red triangle emoji, a reference to Hamas combat operations that has become a broader symbol of Palestinian resistance, on its Facebook and Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms, according to internal content moderation materials reviewed by The Intercept.

Since the beginning of the Israeli assault on Gaza, Hamas has regularly released footage of its successful strikes on Israeli military positions with red triangles superimposed above targeted soldiers and armor. Since last fall, use of the red triangle emoji has expanded online, becoming a widely used icon for people expressing pro-Palestinian or anti-Israeli sentiment. Social media users have included the shape in their posts, usernames, and profiles as a badge of solidarity and protest.

The symbol has become common enough that the Israeli military has used it as shorthand in its own propaganda: In November, Al Jazeera reported on an Israeli military video that warned “Our triangle is stronger than yours, Abu Obeida,” addressing Hamas’s spokesperson.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 months ago (1 children)

“user is clearly posting about the conflict and it is reasonable to read the red triangle as a proxy for Hamas and it is being used to glorify, support or represent Hamas’s violence.”

It sounds less bad than the title, not an outright ban on the emoji just a ban on using it as a proxy for otherwise banned ideas. Still not a fan of Meta's longstanding belief they're the arbitors of morality and what may be discussioned.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So will they also ban israeli flags?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Sorry, not sure if you intended to reply to my post or if it was intended for another comment. If you were intending to reply to me, I doubt they'll ban the Israeli flag, although they also haven't banned the Palestinian flag either. They started removing one emoji when used as a representation of something that violated their rules and wanted to clarify the slightly misleading headline on The Intercept's part.

Again, though, as I said above I'm still not a fan of the rule. Meta has made a lot decisions (moderation and otherwise) that I'm not a fan of.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 months ago

I'm comparing israel with Hamas. not with Palestine.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Oh no a symbol is offensive. Better try and wipe it from the internet.

...removes millions of road signs and people drive off cliffs.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago

The thumbnail is terrible. The restricted emoji is "🔻" not the road sign in the image

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Also called micromanaging.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

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[–] [email protected] -4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I don't agree with this, but I do find it idiotic and tone-deaf for pro-Palestinians to co-opt Hamas imagery and a symbol of violence as a show of support. It suggests they either explicitly support Hamas, or are too stupid to understand what they are displaying.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Now I might just be too stupid to understand what I'm displaying, but last I checked, the red triangle has been a symbol of pro-Palestinian support since the Palestinian Revolt in uhhhh... 1938. It's possible Hamas might have co-opted it, but then you might as well ban the Palestinian flag as well since that's the source of the triangle, and it has also existed since 1917, I'm failing to follow how this is a symbol of Hamas

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Because that's all most people remember so hasbara can call it that with decent effect