Meta deems red triangle a proxy for Hamas support, will enforce removal
Meta has deemed the inverted red triangle (and its accompanying emoji) a proxy for pro-Hamas support, and is enforcing its removal on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The new policy was initially communicated only in internal guidelines, discovered by the Intercept.
The inverted red triangle emoji has been used widely among internet users in posts, usernames, and graphics, and the symbol is incorporated into the propaganda of both Hamas and related militant groups, as well as the Israeli government. Hamas falls under the company’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals blacklist.
Posts that include what The Intercept’s Sam Biddle called “the offending triangle,” and that Meta deems were uploaded in the context of the conflict or to glorify Hamas, will be deleted, the guidelines read. But there’s room for more general removal as well, as in the case of a triangle appearing in a user’s profile picture — such a broad ban worries digital rights advocates, who warn indiscriminate removal would be a blow to free speech. Accounts may receive further disciplinary action depending on the severity of its use, the publication reported. Meta has yet to provide comment.
One of several debated symbols for Palestinian resistance and solidarity, the triangle is pulled directly from the Palestinian flag, representing those sacrificed during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman control. It’s also a unifying regional hue: Red, green, black, and white are the colors of Pan-Arab unity. On one hand frequently used by militant groups, including Hamas, to represent armed revolt, Palestinian supporters and users online have long used it to quickly signal their support for the besieged people.
Others, however, view the bold shape as a symbol of hate, co-opting the use of color-coded triangles used to delineate prisoners at concentration and extermination camps in order to, in their eyes, glorify violence and death.
Users online have used a variety of emoji, including vague red, black, and green symbols and shapes, to signal their support for Palestinian independence and get around moderation (or “shadowbanning”) policies on social media platforms.
