I Just Got Censored By Facebook For Making a True Statement

How very interesting.

I submitted the following update on my personal Facebook page:

“is fascinated by the President’s stand on Israeli settlements. First time in 8 years that the U.S. is a neutral player in the Israeli-Palestinian discussions. This can only help U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another demonstration of the futility of neoconservatism.”

That wasn’t censored, which is nice.

However, I then commented on my own post and wrote something to the effect of:

“This also is a refreshing change from eight years of cynical pandering to Israel by the pathetic Bush-era Christian Right.”

It was probably less eloquent than that, but whatever I wrote was censored because the comment vanished from my page.

Note that at no point did I say anything bad about Israel, explicitly or implicitly.  I don’t think a truly reasonable person could have found otherwise, but I’m not sure because I didn’t memorize my comment.  I wasn’t exactly expecting the Facebook thought police to rein me in.

I can understand Facebook’s actions here.  Their product is unusually useful for spreading viral messages, and could be easily used to spread antisemitism or other intoxicating faith-based nonsense.

Facebook is playing a serious game of Cover Your Ass, and I can hardly blame them.

I’m just disappointed that I became the collateral damage of Facebook’s conservatism by making (as far as I can tell) a true statement.  I think “cowardice” may be too strong a word, but whatever it is, it’s not endearing.

Net effect: Facebook is doing the know-nothing Christian Right a huge favor by filtering out all criticism, legitimate or otherwise.  Sadly, this cop-out will continue until that demographic is so small that it’s commercially irrelevant.

So, the forces of reason and common sense fight on with a handicap.

~ by patricklfc on 6 June, 2009.