While the Facebook boss is under fire from critics for refusing to delete a controversial message from Donald Trump, it is a blockage that gets stained. In recent days, users of the social network and Instagram, also owned by Facebook, have revolted against the removal for weeks of the hashtag #sikh, used to commemorate the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
The poetess Rupi Kaur, who had made herself known in 2015 by posting a photo of her, the jogging stained by her menstrual blood, denounced the “hypocrisy” of Facebook, and challenged the press service of Instagram:
the hypocrisy of @ facebook's approach to free speech:
zuckerberg says fb's principles prohibit him from blocking trump as he incites violence & hate.
meanwhile as sikhs raise their voice to mark the injustices of 1984: sikh hashtags are blocked. @ instagramcomms do better. https://t.co/wk53NvKbIz pic.twitter.com/vMEw7f02Gv
Instagram announced Wednesday that the hashtag #sikh had been released on its network and then on Facebook. The origin would be to look for in a report misinterpreted by the social network teams on March 7.
We have unblocked the hashtag #sikh on Instagram and are working to unblock #sikh on Facebook. We're investigating why this happened. We will follow up here later today with more information.
- Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) June 3, 2020Instagram then apologized, explaining that it was a "very important and painful" moment for the Sikh community. "It was never our intention to silence the voices of this community, we will take the necessary measures to ensure that this does not happen again," added the social network.
This is an incredibly important, painful time for the Sikh community. We designed hashtags to allow people to come together and share with one another. It's never our intention to silence the voices of this community, we are taking the necessary steps so this doesn't happen again
- Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) June 3, 2020High-Tech
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