According to Facebook’s parent company’s oversight board, the platform erred in removing a post with a common protest slogan against Iran’s leader.
Meta moderators stated in July that the use of “marg bar Khamenei” (literally “death to Khamenei“) violated guidelines.
The board, however, stated that the phrase was frequently used rhetorically to mean “down with Khamenei” and did not constitute a credible threat of violence.
It also issued recommendations “to better protect political speech“.
The Oversight Board makes independent decisions about what content is permitted or prohibited on Meta’s platforms, which include Instagram and WhatsApp.