Meta has made significant changes to its Hateful Conduct policy, removing restrictions on discriminatory and harmful speech across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The updated guidelines now permit content that dehumanises or insults individuals based on protected characteristics such as gender, race, and sexual orientation.
The policy allows language previously prohibited, including comparing groups to diseases or inanimate objects and labelling of certain communities as inferior. Harmful rhetoric such as calling gay individuals “mentally ill” or referring to women as “property” is no longer explicitly banned.
The changes, introduced on 7 January, aim to promote free expression. According to Meta, the revisions encourage open discussions on controversial topics, including gender identity and sexuality. However, the decision has sparked outrage within the company.
Internal discussions among employees have revealed widespread discontent. Leaked posts from Meta’s internal platform, Workplace, show employees calling the move “unacceptable” and expressing deep concern about the potential impact on marginalised communities. One employee, identifying as LGBT and mentally ill, announced taking leave to focus on their mental health, highlighting the emotional toll of the decision.
Critics within the company have also raised concerns about the lack of transparency. Unlike previous updates, the policy change was implemented without broad internal consultations or input from external experts. Employees fear this shift could harm users and create an unsafe online environment.
The revised policy no longer prohibits dehumanising language targeting protected characteristics, which include race, ethnicity, disability, religion, caste, and gender identity. Meta has also eliminated its stance against hateful conduct fostering intimidation and exclusion, despite acknowledging the risk of offline violence stemming from such content.
The move has sparked public and internal backlash, with many questioning whether the pursuit of free expression comes at the cost of user safety and inclusivity.
