Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a significant update to its hate speech policy.
The company has banned the use of the term "Zionism" in posts. The decision was welcomed by pro-Israel groups.
Pro-Israel groups expressed satisfaction after Meta announced it would extend the ban on the term "Zionist."
Starting Tuesday, Meta will remove content from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads that use this term to criticize Israelis.
The company will also ban content related to claims that Zionists "control the world or the media."
Speaking to Novara Media, antisemitism expert Brendan McGeever described the announcement as "problematic" and said it would undermine the fight against real antisemitism.
The decision comes after months of investigation into how the term has been historically used and how it is currently used on social media, especially as the war in Gaza continues.
Meta said it consulted more than 145 historians, human rights groups, legal and human rights experts, and freedom of expression advocates worldwide to reach the decision.
The decision was met with backlash from social media users.
One social media user posted on their X account, "Mark Zuckerberg is banning claims like 'Zionists control the world or the media.' This clearly proves: Zionists control the world, they control the media..."
Meta has faced scrutiny over its content moderation practices related to the Middle East.
Critics and some groups have accused the company of censoring content supporting Palestinians on its platforms.
