A new ruling from Meta’s Oversight Board regarding the use of the phrase “From the River to the Sea” found that it does not violate the platforms’ policies on hate speech, violence, and incitement or dangerous organizations and individuals. The board also highlighted the need for greater access to Facebook’s Content Library for qualified researchers, civil society groups, and journalists. The ruling examined three pieces of Facebook content containing the phrase, which is considered by many to be pro-Palestinian, referring to the stretch of land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The phrase has different interpretations and meanings, with critics calling it an anti-Semitic slogan and others viewing it as an aspirational call for freedom. The board ruled that the phrase itself is not a call for violence or exclusion and emphasized the importance of assessing the context surrounding its use. Concerns were raised about Meta’s decision to shut down the CrowdStrike data analysis tool in favor of the more tightly controlled Meta Content Library. The oversight board recommended onboarding qualified researchers, groups, and journalists within three weeks of submitting an application and ensuring that the Content Library is a suitable replacement for CrowdStrike.
