While some people, for some reason – looking at a meme representing Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz may believe these are actually “Dumb and Dumber” characters – the Meta Oversight Board reminded Meta, and the world, that one meme to this effect was satirical.
And – would clearly be understood, by a vast majority of those coming across it, as such.
Certainly not as a pair of characters from a buddy comedy movie then – but in fact, politicians and presidential/vice presidential candidates in a US election, the Board found of the meaning of the meme’s content.
The point is, that while the imagery is not flattering, it is also not “bullying” or “harassing.”
And, said the Board – basically – shame on Meta for censoring a meme that clearly falls under the satire category, and shame on Meta for using the “bullying and harassment” platform policy to censor it.
Meta did respond to a user appeal by reinstating the post.
But given the proximity of the US presidential elections, the case and reporting about it gains in gravity, especially since stifling of legitimate speech on platforms with huge reach ahead of a vote – even if found to be wrong – is after the election, a fait accompli.
It can be analyzed and appealed, to but typically makes little difference in redressing any adverse impact. Even the Meta’s Board reaction at this point can be seen as too little, too late – it’s now two weeks before the election date.
But both Meta and the Board could cite this example in the future as having done something (“better”) about the censorship that’s pervaded, with a very clear slant, Meta’s properties for the past almost ten years.
The Board’s reaction was to a photo posted back in August which plays on the “Dumb and Dumber” promo poster, to superimpose images of Harris and Walz onto the main protagonists of the comedy.
A user lodged a complaint and Meta censored it for “derogatory sexualized photoshop or drawings.”
“Are you kidding me?” – this is what the original poster basically said while appealing against the decision to censor their meme.
Now – the Oversight Boards makes a note of the dangers that “over-enforcing the Bullying and Harassment policy can have, especially in the context of an election, as it may lead to the excessive removal of political speech and undermine the ability to criticize government officials and political candidates, including in a sarcastic manner.”
