Facebook's list of 4,000 DOI blacklist persons leaked, shows 'disproportionate censoring’

Thousands of persons and organisations suspected of being involved in terror-related activities have been banned from Facebook as part of the massive blacklist known as Dangerous Organizations and Individuals (DOI), which appears to reflect the objectives of the US government and military. According to The Intercept, Facebook's list, which was leaked, comprises well over 4,000 individuals and groups who fall into categories including hate, criminality, terrorism, militarised social movements, and violent non-state players. According to The Intercept, the company may have 'disproportionately censored' different communities, as reported by the news agency Sputnik. A copy of the DOI list is also included, along with a policy document to assist moderators in determining which posts to delete and which users to punish. Tier 1, which includes accused terrorist groups, hate groups, and criminal organisations, is the most restrictive. Terrorism is defined as organising or pushing for violence against civilians, whereas hate is described as dehumanising or advocating for harm to people on a regular basis, reported the outlet. 

Users are not permitted to express anything that could be seen as praise or support for groups or individuals in this category. Nearly 1,000 of the entries in the terrorist category - which is claimed to account for 70% of Tier 1 - include a "designation source" of "SDGT," or Specially Designated Global Terrorists, a Treasury Department sanctions list. It should be mentioned here that the SDGT was created by the former US President Geoge W. Bush following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Tier 1's criminal category is basically comprised up of mostly Black and Latino US street gangs and Latin American drug cartels, reported Sputnik. 

Meanwhile, Tier 2 is comprised of "violent non-state actors." Users are allowed to applaud groups in this tier for their non-violent efforts but not to express any "substantive support" for the groups themselves. It primarily comprises armed rebels who engage in violence against governments. Tier 3, which contains mostly white Militarized Social Movements, is for groups that are not violent but frequently engage in hate speech, look to be on the verge of being violent, or repeatedly violate DOI standards. Other Facebook users are permitted to discuss those in Tier 3 without restriction, according to Sputnik. 

'Disclosing the blacklist can put employees at risk' says Facebook's policy director

It is worth noting here that Facebook has often stated that disclosing the list will put employees at risk and allow banned organizations to get around the DOI regulation. Brian Fishman, Facebook's policy director for counterterrorism and dangerous organisations, responded to The Intercept with a written statement emphasising that the "blacklist" is kept secret because this is an adversarial space, and the company strives to be as transparent as possible while also prioritising security, limiting legal risks, and preventing opportunities for groups to circumvent our rules. Meanwhile, a Facebook moderator based outside of the United States admitted that analysts often struggle to recognise "political speech" and "struggle" to decide what content satisfies Facebook's standards of forbidden speech, reported Sputnik. 

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