It's not just social media users that are being censored, now its social media employees.
According to a new report by Business Insider, citing an internal company memo, Facebook is now telling its employees what they can, and can't, talk about at work.
Business Insider reviewed an internal company memo where Facebook's CTO claims to have put together "a set of ground rules for open and respectful communication at work, and a central moderation model."
The memo states: "We're keeping it simple with three main guidelines: Don't insult, bully, or antagonize others. Don't try to change someone's politics or religion. Don't break our rules about harassing speech and expression."
Facebook uses Workplace, an app that allows chat, for internal communication. Employees use it for work related projects, but also occasionally for small talk. The app is targeted as the main area where these new rules will apply.
The memo continues: "These guidelines apply to all work communications including Workplace, email, chat, tasks, posters, whiteboards, chalkboards, and face-to-face. Since Workplace is where most of these discussions happen, we are investing engineering resources there."
Facebook has also made it easier for employees to report one another when somebody says something that "offends" someone else. The memo continued:
"We are making it easier to report posts and comments, and those reports will go straight to a trained moderator who'll moderate as needed. We're also developing more tools to help proactively."
We can't help but wonder, "Who is training the moderator?"
Social media sites have been under fire for censorship over the past couple of years: many on the right claim they're being targeted and stripped of their right to free speech, while those on the left are perpetually claiming that every statement they don't agree with is "hate speech" and "bullying". In fact, the censorship has gotten so prominent at times, it prompted the President to Tweet about it last summer.
"Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won’t let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others," Trump said back in August.
In response, Facebook launched a review of policies possibly impacting conservative voices and other communities in back in early 2018.
Journalist Caitlin Johnstone, who last year survived Twitter's attempt to suspend her Twitter account, described the suspension-spree, noting: "In a corporatist system, corporate censorship is state censorship."
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