With the Valve Steam Deck increasing in popularity, conversations about Linux are booming among PC gamers. However, it seems that Facebook and its parent company, Meta, are not keen on these discussions continuing.
Ban on Linux Mentions
DistroWatch, a well-known site that focuses on various Linux topics, has reportedly faced a ban on posts that mention Linux. After DistroWatch appealed to restore its removed content, Facebook reviewed the posts but decided not to reinstate them. Furthermore, a post from Tom’s Hardware suggests that DistroWatch is not the only one experiencing this issue. Other communities and pages have also been shut down, and some users have even had their personal accounts disabled for discussing Linux.
Reason Behind Removal
The alleged justification for these removals is that Linux content “may facilitate the sharing, creation or hosting of malicious content.” Initially, it appeared that Linux-related posts would be completely banned. However, posts have been made on DistroWatch’s Facebook page since the ban on January 20. A simple test was conducted by posting a public message containing a DistroWatch link and the word “Linux,” which surprisingly was not taken down. Thus, the exact cause of these bans and removals remains uncertain.
A Contradictory Situation
Interestingly, this situation arises just weeks after Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook announced that the platform would ease its content moderation rules to encourage discussions on more “controversial topics.”
Meta’s community standards outline what constitutes “malicious software” and related issues:
We prohibit:
Unauthorized attempts to access accounts, including trying to get into accounts or profiles that don’t belong to you through deceptive means or without permission from the owner.
Acquiring or asking for another user’s login or sensitive information to gain unauthorized access, which includes tactics like phishing—creating fake communications to trick users into giving private information.
Attempts to share or create harmful code, which means encouraging users to download files or applications that can compromise their security, like malware, spyware, or ransomware designed to harm systems or steal money.
Lack of Clarity on Violations
It’s not clear if DistroWatch’s posts have broken any of these Meta community guidelines, but none of the recent posts appear to be particularly harmful upon initial review.
Source:
Link
Leave a Reply