The Simon Wiesenthal Center is deeply concerned by Meta’s recent decision to alter its trust and safety policies. This decision comes at a time of unprecedented surging antisemitism, particularly following the events of October 7th, making the rollback of critical safeguards exceedingly dangerous. 

The proliferation of hate, disinformation, and incitement online has fueled real-world violence and facilitated acts of terror around the globe. Weakening these protections now opens the floodgates for antisemites, racists, and supporters of terror to exploit Facebook as a platform for amplifying propaganda, inciting violence, and undermining the foundations of our democracy. 

This reckless move disregards the immense responsibility social media companies bear in protecting vulnerable communities and mitigating the spread of harmful and dangerous ideologies. History has repeatedly shown that online hate does not remain confined to the digital realm—it manifests in tragic offline consequences. 

We urge Meta to immediately reverse course and maintain the critical policies that safeguard vulnerable communities. We further encourage Meta to enhance the user reporting process and response to ensure that problematic content on the platform is identified and addressed in an adequate and timely manner. Meta should also retain professional fact-checkers to discern fact from fiction which is critical to a functioning democracy. 

The fight against extremism, bigotry, and antisemitism requires vigilance and unwavering commitment, not retreat. We call on Meta, all social media companies, and the tech industry as a whole to recommit to maintaining platforms free from hate, disinformation, and incitement.  

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).