Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has come under fire yet again for its censorship practices after Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian liberal arts college, accused the social media giant of suppressing its online courses page, particularly after launching a course critical of communism and Marxism.
Facebook, now under the Meta umbrella, has a history of facing criticism for its perceived censorship practices. Recently, the social media platform drew ire from Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian liberal arts institution, for targeting its online courses page.
Meta's Censorship Blunders: Targeting Hillsdale College's Marxism Course
On Thursday, Hillsdale College took to Twitter to express its frustration with Facebook's actions. The college claimed that anyone searching for its online courses page on Facebook would be met with a warning suggesting they might be searching for terms associated with drug dealers.
"Facebook is at it again," Hillsdale College posted on Twitter. "Anyone who searches for Hillsdale's online courses page on Facebook sees a warning that they might be searching for terms associated with drug dealers. While we don't deal in narcotics, our online courses are mind-altering. The first one is free! (And every course after that, too.)"
Meta's Censorship Blunders: Targeting Hillsdale College's Marxism Course
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, responded to Fox News Digital's inquiry, acknowledging that the error had been corrected.
Meta stated in a statement, "This was an error that has since been corrected." However, Hillsdale College disputed Meta's account, claiming that the page had been down for almost 100 hours. The college also asserted that the ads that Meta had allegedly flagged as inappropriate had been running unchanged for over a year.
Meta's Censorship Blunders: Targeting Hillsdale College's Marxism Course
Emily Stack Davis, Hillsdale College's executive director of media relations and communications, told Fox News Digital, "Meta claims that Hillsdale’s entire online course page was taken down for almost 100 hours because of ads they mistakenly flagged on Facebook. But those same ads had been running unchanged for over a year. And we don’t even run them on the page they took down."
Davis emphasized the timing of the supposed censorship, coinciding with the launch of the college's new course on Marxism, socialism, and communism.
Meta's Censorship Blunders: Targeting Hillsdale College's Marxism Course
Hillsdale College is known for its conservative Christian principles and its classical education model, contrasting with the perceived "woke" ideologies and curricula adopted by many other U.S. colleges and universities. In recent years, it has gained popularity as an alternative to mainstream higher education institutions.
Meta has faced increasing scrutiny over its content moderation practices. Critics have accused the company of political bias, censorship, and suppression of conservative viewpoints. These concerns have intensified in the lead-up to the upcoming election, with fears that social media platforms could potentially influence the outcome.
Hillsdale College's experience with Meta's alleged censorship has reignited concerns about social media platforms' power to shape public discourse. The incident highlights the ongoing debate over the balance between freedom of expression and the need for responsible content moderation. As the election approaches, it remains to be seen how these platforms will handle potentially controversial content and whether their actions will further fuel perceptions of bias and censorship.
