Facebook has decided to end its policy that shields politicians from being booted off the platform for violating its terms of use.
In the past, the social media giant let political figures post pretty much whatever they liked — be it bullying, offensive or controversial — saying that their statements were inherently newsworthy and thus should not be removed. However, in the wake of the Capitol Hill invasion at the beginning of the year, and Donald Trump’s subsequent suspension, Zuckerberg’s platform has come in for some scrutiny — both internally and externally.
Facebook gets tough with politicians
According to a report on The Verge, this change in policy comes after the Oversight Board — a body set up by the social media giant to take a look at content moderation rulings on the platform — upheld the decision to suspend Trump but also slammed the special treatment given to politicians.
It said that the “same rules should apply to all users” and gave Facebook until 5th June to respond to its policy recommendations.
This shift in policy could have some wide-reaching ramifications. Not only does it mark a massive change to the ‘hands-off’ approach that Facebook has had in the past when it comes to controversial posts from political figures, but it also puts politicians under something of a spotlight globally. They’ll no longer be able to post whatever they like without facing any consequences – which is likely to draw ire from voices on both sides of the political divide.