Beginning in 2012, Facebook introduced a policy banning “organizations with a record of terrorist or violent criminal activity.” However, since then, the policy has grown massively to include more than 4,000 individuals and groups that the company considers dangerous. And this week, the full list was leaked for the first time to The Intercept.

The organizations on Facebook’s list seem to mirror the interests of the U.S., targeting terrorists, hate groups, street gangs, and more. However, it was difficult prior to this for users to figure out what the rules were when it came to posting about these groups.

“Facebook puts users in a near-impossible position by telling them they can’t post about dangerous groups and individuals, but then refusing to publicly identify who it considers dangerous,” Faiza Patel, co-director of the Brennan Center for Justice’s liberty and national security program, told The Intercept.

This confusion about what is and isn’t allowed has no doubt led to headaches for users who have been caught up in the company’s content moderation algorithm. It would certainly be more helpful if Facebook officially released its own guidelines, but at least they’re finally coming to light one way or the other.

Recommended Resources

The Choice of Tech Experts Worldwide. Try 90 days free of Bitdefender and experience the highest level of digital safety.

Surf the web truly incognito. Try Bitdefender Premium VPN, the ultra-fast VPN that keeps your online identity and activities safe from hackers, ISPs and snoops.

System Mechanic 14 – Make your computer run like new. Winner of 200+ Editor’s Choice awards!