Trump Muslim Registry: Facebook Accidentally Comments On Policy, Later Promises Not To Participate If Asked

Facebook accidentally revealed its position on the possibility its service would be tapped to help create a registry of Muslim Americans when a spokesperson called the notion of such a thing a “strawman” in an email intended for internal communications that was sent to a BuzzFeed News reporter.

The comment came in response to an inquiry to the social network asking if it would commit to limiting data collection that could be put to use for ethnic or religious targeting. The company was also asked if it would pledge not to participate in building a registry of Muslims if asked to do so by the government.

A message from a Facebook public relations representative, intended to be forwarded to other Facebook employees, was sent to BuzzFeed’s Nitasha Tiku. The message concluded it was best for Facebook to stay off the record regarding the issue, but noted they were “happy to talk to her off record about why this is attacking a straw man.”

The message was reported, and Facebook initially declined to provide an on the record comment but later disclosed to BuzzFeed via a spokesperson, “No one has asked us to build a Muslim registry, and of course we would not do so.”

Facebook may view the issue of a Muslim registry——or at least view the likelihood it would be asked to help build it—as a strawman, but the possibility is viewed as a very real one to many as President-elect Donald Trump’s administration readies to take office.

Trump suggested the possibility of a registry for Muslims on multiple occasions. While campaigning last November, then-candidate Trump was asked by a reporter from MSNBC if there should be a “database or system that tracks Muslims in this country,” to which Trump replied, “There should be a lot of systems beyond databases. I mean, we should have a lot of systems,” before saying he “certainly” would implement such a registry.

In subsequent interviews and statements, Trump has yet to refute the idea of a registry. A member of his transition team, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, has suggested the Trump administration may reinstate the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), a suspended federal program that was used to keep records of immigrants—almost exclusively from Muslim majority countries—from 2001 to 2012.

Prior to Facebook’s on-the-record statement claiming it would never partake in helping build a Muslim registry, individual members of the tech community started circulating an open letter promising they would refuse to contribute to such a database if asked. The letter gathered signatures from hundreds of workers at a number of major technology companies.

Executives from tech firms including Facebook, Google, and Apple met with President-elect Trump on Wednesday. There have been no reports indicating the Muslim registry was a topic of discussion at the meeting.