Why it matters: The level of mis- and disinformation flooding the internet is forcing tech firms to take tougher positions at a time when they are trying to prove they don’t kowtow to political pressure.
Driving the news: Meta on Friday said it’s developed a “special operations center” staffed with experts, including fluent Hebrew and Arabic speakers, “to closely monitor and respond to this rapidly evolving situation in real time.”
- It’s also working to avoid recommending potentially violative content across Facebook, Instagram and Threads by lowering the threshold at which its tech will start to block recommendations.
Between the lines: Meta and its rival, Google-owned YouTube, have long banned Hamas content, citing the U.S. government’s classification of the group as a terrorist organization, but other firms are now starting to take a harder stance on Hamas specifically.
- A TikTok spokesperson confirmed to Axios that Hamas is banned from its platform. As the Washington Post notes, the company has historically declined to specify which groups it classifies as terrorist organizations.
- In a statement released Sunday, TikTok said it will be adding more content moderators who speak Arabic and Hebrew.
Be smart: European regulators are putting more pressure on tech firms to address mis- and disinformation in the wake of the conflict.
- The European Commission last week said it is investigating X, formerly Twitter, over allegations that the platform spread disinformation about the war between Hamas and Israel.