Why Facebook Is Taking Action Against Holocaust Denial, Distortion, Zuckerberg Says Thinking 'Evolved'

Facebook on Monday banned all content distorting or denying the Holocaust, following years of criticism it provided a platform for hate speech.

“Our decision is supported by the well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally and the alarming level of ignorance about the Holocaust, especially among young people,” Facebook said in an update to its hate speech policy. Facebook noted a recent survey indicated a quarter of Americans 18 to 39 years of age said they believe the Holocaust is a myth.

Facebook said beginning later this year it would direct anyone looking for information on the Holocaust to credible sources.

The Anti-Defamation League has said it’s research indicates there are 1.09 billion people in 100 countries who harbor anti-Semitic attitudes, or 26% of the world population. The ADL reported 2,107 hate crimes against Jews in the United States in 2019, the highest level since 1979.

Facebook said it decided to change its policy because of a rise in anti-Semitism around the world.

“I've struggled with the tension between standing for free expression and the harm caused by minimizing or denying the horror of the Holocaust,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is Jewish, said in a blog post, adding his thinking on the issue has “evolved.”

In a 2018 interview with Recode, Zuckerberg said he struggled with the issue because he finds Holocaust denial “deeply offensive,” but didn’t “believe our platform should take that down because I think there are things that different people get wrong. I don’t think that they’re intentionally getting it wrong.” In a subsequent email, Zuckerberg told Recode he didn’t mean to defend the intent of Holocaust deniers.

Holocaust survivors posted an open letter to Zuckerberg, asking him to reconsider his position.

The ADL hailed Monday’s action.

“The Holocaust, the systematic murder of approximately 6 million Jews and several million others during World War II, is one of history’s most painstakingly examined and well-documented genocides,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement.

Facebook’s action follows a recent series of anti-Semitic attacks on billionaire philanthropist George Soros and Jewish lawmakers including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, both D-N.Y., who played prominent roles in President Donald Trump’s impeachment.

Trump, though his daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren children are Jewish, has declined to forcefully condemn white supremacists, most recently during his debate with Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden. In lieu of a condemnation, he advised white supremacists to “stand down” and “stand by.”