Facebook removes NUPL post again
The takedowns may seem arbitrary, but they can be seen as part of a larger pattern where activism, advocacy and dissent are disproportionately affected by social media moderation.
September 9, 2024
NUPL
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers is a nationwide voluntary association of human rights lawyers in the Philippines, committed to the defense, protection, and promotion of human rights, especially of the poor and the oppressed.

In yet another move that defies explanation, Facebook has taken down a post by NUPL Secretary General Josalee Deinla, this time citing its Community Standards on spam. The post in question shared a link to the NUPL’s “Message to the 2024 Bar Examinees” and included the text: “Join NUPL!” Facebook claims the link was designed to deceive or mislead users—a curious accusation for an organization committed to the promotion and defense of human rights.

The link, of course, was anything but scheming. It is a simple call to future lawyers to join the ranks of those who champion justice for the marginalized or to consider people’s lawyering as a career path. But Facebook deemed it unfit for their platform, even though it does not serve the “lucrative industry” of spam that thrives on trickery and empty clicks.

It is not the first time NUPL’s voice has been silenced by the tech giant’s heavy-handed moderation. Last year, Facebook “mistakenly” took down the NUPL page where its indignation rally on the killing of Abra lawyer Saniata Liwliwa Gonzales Alzate was filmed live. That mistake, like this one, raises troubling questions about whose voices are heard and whose are erased in the algorithm’s cold and careless sweep. The takedowns may seem arbitrary, but they can be seen as part of a larger pattern where activism, advocacy and dissent are disproportionately affected by social media moderation.

The removal has been appealed to Facebook. But one has to wonder—how many more “mistakes” will it take before the lines between oversight and suppression blur beyond recognition? #

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