Facebook Accused of Censoring Stories About Its Own Censorship
United States, Thursday, 9 January 2025.
404 Media claims Facebook removed its articles discussing alleged censorship, citing ‘nudity’ violations, while controversy brews over explicit ads allowed on the platform.
Meta’s Controversial Content Removal
Meta (NYSE: META) has been accused of systematically removing stories that discuss its own content moderation practices. As of January 6, 2025, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads have been removing articles from 404 Media under claims of ‘nudity’ violations [1][4]. This action comes amid investigations into Meta’s advertising practices, where the platform has reportedly allowed explicit adult content in paid advertisements while censoring journalistic coverage of these same issues [1].
Advertising Controversy
The censorship controversy emerged after investigations revealed that Meta’s platforms were displaying sexually explicit advertisements across their networks. In November 2024, one advertiser was found to be running approximately 800 ads across Meta’s platforms, many containing explicit adult content [1]. Despite these ads violating Meta’s stated policies, the platform’s response has been inconsistent, with many such advertisements remaining active even after being reported [5].
Internal Dissent and Suppression
The controversy extends beyond external content moderation to internal communications. On January 5, 2025, Meta’s HR team began removing internal employee criticisms, particularly those related to new board appointments [2]. The Internal Community Relations team justified these removals by citing violations of the Community Engagement Expectations (CEE), stating that ‘Insulting, criticizing, or antagonizing our colleagues or Board members is not aligned with the CEE’ [2].
Platform Transparency Concerns
This incident has sparked broader discussions about Meta’s commitment to transparency and free speech. With Meta serving 3.190 billion daily active users [5], the platform’s content moderation policies have significant global implications. Critics argue that while Meta positions itself as a ‘digital town square,’ it fails to maintain the transparency and accountability such a role demands [5]. The company generates approximately 98% of its revenue from advertising [5], raising questions about the influence of commercial interests on content moderation decisions.