OVERTURNED
2023-046-FB-UA
Girls’ Education in Afghanistan
A user appealed Meta’s decision to remove a Facebook post discussing the importance of educating girls in Afghanistan.
Policies and topics
Children/Children's
rights, Discrimination,
Sex and gender
equality
Dangerous individuals
and organisations
Region and countries
Central and South
Asia
Afghanistan
Platform
Facebook
This is a summary decision. Summary decisions examine cases in which Meta has reversed its original decision on a piece of content after the
Board brought it to the company’s attention. These decisions include information about Meta’s acknowledged errors. They are approved by a
Board Member panel, not the full Board. They do not involve a public comment process and do not have precedential value for the Board.
Summary decisions provide transparency on Meta’s corrections and highlight areas in which the company could improve its policy
enforcement.
Case Summary
A user appealed Meta’s decision to remove a Facebook post discussing the importance of educating girls in Afghanistan. This case highlights
an error in the company’s enforcement of its Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy. After the Board brought the appeal to Meta’s
attention, the company reversed its original decision and restored the post.
Case Description and Background
In July 2023, a Facebook user in Afghanistan posted text in Pashto describing the importance of educating girls in Afghanistan. The user called
on people to continue raising their concerns and noted the consequences of failing to take these concerns to the Taliban. The user also states
that preventing access to education for girls will be a loss to the nation.
Meta originally removed the post from Facebook, citing its Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy, under which the company removes
content that “praises,” “substantively supports” or “represents” individuals and organizations it designates as dangerous, including the
Taliban. The policy allows content that discusses a dangerous organization or individual in a neutral way or that condemns its actions.
After the Board brought this case to Meta’s attention, the company determined that the content did not violate the Dangerous Organizations
and Individuals policy, and that the removal of the post was incorrect. The company then restored the content.