Sex, Flags, and Ocalan: Facebook Embraces Turkish Censorship
by Nanore Barsoumian
March 1, 2012
A recently leaked document reveals that in addition to censoring
sexually explicit, violent, and hate-inciting materials, the social
networking site Facebook has special rules for content deemed
unacceptable to the Turkish state. Gawker.com recently posted the
document leaked by a former employee of oDesk, the firm contracted to
police the content shared by Facebook users.
The 17-page manual outlines especially strict policies when it comes
to Turkey, its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Kurds, and
imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. No other country enjoys
such censorship privileges.
The 17-page manual outlines particularly strict policies when it comes
to Turkey, its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Kurds, and
imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. No other country enjoys
such censorship privileges.
The leaked document caused outrage among users of social networking
sites. `EU slams Turkey for freedom of expression violations while
#Facebook helps Turkey ban Kurdish content. What say you, EU?’ asked
one Twitter user.
Once a specific post is reported by a Facebook user, moderators are
instructed to `confirm,’ `unconfirm,’ `escalate,’ or `ignore’
materials that might be considered offensive. The manual defines
`confirmed’ as `a decision which implies that there is a violation on
a piece of content, as reported by the user.’ Once confirmed, the
material is deleted. If the post does not constitute a violation, the
moderator `unconfirms’ the material. `Escalate,’ on the other hand,
sends the content to Facebook’s internal review team `for further
action.’
In its manual, aside from categories dealing with sex, nudity,
bullying, self-harm, and graphic contents, the manual has an `IP
Blocks and International Compliance’ section. Within it, four types of
materials are to be `escalated’: `Holocaust denial which focuses on
hate speech’; `All attacks on Ataturk (visual and text)’; `Maps of
Kurdistan (Turkey)’; and `Burning Turkish flag(s).’ Two other types of
content deemed somewhat less offensive, but still unacceptable, are
`Any PKK support or [PKK related] content with no context,’ and
`Content supporting or showing Abdullah `Apo’ Ocalan.’ The latter two
are to be `confirmed (unless clearly against PKK and/or Ocalan).’
The categories are further clarified in a section titled `Content that
should be escalated.’ The list includes `Photos AND/OR text making fun
of/attacking/depicting negatively/criticizing, Ataturk’; `Burning the
Turkish flag (other flags are ok to be shown burning)’; `Maps of
Kurdistan (as of now, only maps are escalated; other references are
merely confirmed)’; and `Holocaust denial (any discussion of holocaust
denial that contains hate speech should be escalated).’
Flags of Kurdistan are to be `ignored’ – in other words, they are
allowed. The updated 6.1 version of the manual instructs employees to
be aware of `PKK versus Kurdistan flags.’
Following the leak, some Twitter users referred to Facebook as `Fascistbook.’
`Facebook has surrendered to the fascist Turkish state, and bans
everything related to the Kurds and Kurdistan. Facebook
Fascistbook,’ tweeted an outraged user, while another wrote,
`#Facebook discriminates against kurds like hitler’s book mein kampf
discriminates against Jews. We are denied our existence.#Fascistbook.’
Others were outraged that the content related to Ocalan was censored.
`The only one man whose pics are banned on #Facebook #Fascistbook is
Kurdish leader Ocalan. #humanrights abuse,’ wrote one user.
`#Facebook didn’t want to be banned in #turkey so [Facebook founder
Mark] Zuckerberg sold his soul to the devil & now supports oppression
of Kurds #Fascistbook,’ tweeted another.
Turkey has banned access to thousands of websites deemed offensive.
Article 301 of the Turkish penal code criminalizes `insulting the
Turkish people, Republic of Turkey, and governmental institutions and
bodies.’ The video sharing website YouTube was banned in Turkey in May
2008, after users posted material that authorities said insulted
Ataturk. Authorities removed the ban in October 2010, but reinstated
it in November after a clip allegedly showed the former chairman of
the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Deniz Baykal, in a bedroom with a
female aide.
In an open letter to Zuckerberg published on the Kurdish ekurd.net
website, Hawar Jamal Ameen, an ethnic Kurd, voiced his disappointment
at Facebook’s policies. He said the policies ignore the persecution of
Kurds in Turkey, and the denial of their basic human rights; the
imprisonment of Kurdish children who dare to speak their mother
tongue; Ataturk’s involvement in atrocities against Armenians and
Kurds; and the similarities between Nelson Mandela and Ocalan.
`I am going to make this an issue of logic, common sense, and
rationality,’ he wrote. `Countless people around the world are abused,
victimized, and oppressed by their governments but you have not
mentioned them. It seems that the Kurdish (and only Kurdish) people
now have to add Facebook to the list of oppressors.’
`As a Kurd I may be biased but I am not asking you to support an
independent Kurdish state or for you to allow racist abusive behavior
towards Turkey or its people, but your policy has clearly been written
or heavily influenced by a Turkish individual or group that
specifically promotes Turkish nationalism and the oppression of the
Kurdish ethnic minority,’ Ameen said.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/03/01/sex-flags-and-ocalan-facebook-embraces-turkish-censorship/