Oversight Board Comment on Facebook ’s Removal of Abdullah Öcalan Content

Will DuffieldI submitted the following public comment to the Oversight Board regarding their review of Facebook ’s decision to remove an American user’s Instagram post, which included a picture of Kurdish leader Abdullah O ̈calan and text discussing his isolated imprisonment. Facebook justified the removal under its Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy.The Oversight Boardrequested comments addressing “whether the decision consistent with Facebook’s stated values and human rights commitments, including on freedom of expression,” and “the impact of censorship of Kurdish political discussion on social media.” The shadow of the Turkish state looms large in this case – the Turkish governm ent has long conditioned market access on compliance with takedown demands – yet unlimited appeasement undermines Facebook’s commitment to voice as a paramount value.Oversight Board Public CommentWill Duffield, Policy Analyst, Cato InstituteThe internet may be ephemeral, but Facebook ’s offices, servers, and employees exist physically, in the jurisdictions of various governments. Facebook cannot ignore this reality, but its appeasement of governments needn’t be unlimited. American legal prohibitions on Material Support do not extend to third‐​party praise, requiring coor dination or direction to criminalize mere speech. Some geo‐​blocking may be necessary to maintain access to Turkish markets, but global takedowns are a bridge too far. Ine...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs