Censorship of Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service that has been gradually replacing traditional media channels since 2010.[1][2] Facebook has limited moderation of the content posted to its site. Because the site indiscriminately displays material publicly posted by users, Facebook can, in effect, threaten oppressive governments. Facebook can simultaneously propagate fake news, hate speech, and misinformation, thereby undermining the credibility of online platforms and social media.
This article is about censorship of Facebook by governments and organizations. For censorship by Facebook itself, see Censorship by Facebook.Many countries have banned or temporarily limited access to Facebook.[3] Use of the website has also been restricted in various ways in other countries. As of July 2022, the only countries to continually ban access to the social networking site are China,[3] Iran,[4] North Korea,[5][6] Myanmar, Russia, Turkmenistan[7] and Uganda.[8] However, since most North Korean residents have no access to the Internet,[9] China, Russia, and Iran are the only countries where access to Facebook is actively restricted in a wholesale manner, although it is possible to access the site through onion services.
Algorithmic censorship[edit]
Online censorship by Facebook of algorithmic methods raises concerns including the surveillance of all instant communications and the use of machine learning systems with the potential for errors and biases.[10] Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO and majority shareholder, published a memo on censorship. "What should be the limits to what people can express?" he asked. "What content should be distributed and what should be blocked? Who should decide these policies and make enforcement decisions?"[11]