Meta’s digital dance of diplomacy and deletion

IN the ever-spinning, never-dull carousel of global politics and tech gaffes, Silicon Valley’s own behemoth, Meta, found itself with egg on its virtual face.

Picture this: a sunny Tuesday in Silicon Valley (because when isn’t it sunny there?) and Meta’s scrambling to apologise – yes, apologise – for yanking down posts from none other than Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Why? Because he dared to express solidarity with Hamas after the assassination of its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran. Shock, awe, insert eye-roll here.

Anwar, not one to shy away from a bold statement, had poured his heart into a video condolence call and some throwback pics with Haniyeh on both Facebook and Instagram.

Meta’s reason for the digital snafu? An “operational error” – the tech equivalent of “the dog ate my homework”. But fret not, citizens of the digital realm, the posts are back with a shiny “newsworthy” badge, though with a side of guilt: “This post goes against our community guidelines but has been left on Instagram for public awareness.” How magnanimous!

Let’s not forget the backdrop here: Meta has a standing rule labeling Hamas a “dangerous organisation”, a policy that makes its platforms no-go zones for any praise for the group. It’s like the digital Wild West with algorithms and human moderators playing sheriff.

The kerfuffle didn’t just stir up netizens – Anwar’s office threw some serious shade at Meta, decrying the deletion as a cocktail of discrimination, injustice, and a gag on free expression.

Round two ding-ding! This isn’t Meta’s first dance with Malaysia, having stepped on toes just this past May in a similar fiasco.

Human Rights Watch even chimed in from the bleachers, calling foul on Meta’s habit of muting pro-Palestine voices. It seems, in the great digital arena, the battle for the narrative is never really over.

And so the saga continues, with everyone from rights groups to casual scrollers watching Meta’s next move. In the world of social media giants, it’s just another day at the office. – August 7, 2024.