Meta relieved as Türkiye lifts Instagram ban, talks on content policies continue
The Meta (formerly Facebook) logo marks the entrance of corporate headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on November 9, 2022. (AFP Photo)
Meta Platforms expressed relief as Türkiye restored access to Instagram after a nine-day block.
Meta announced its continued dialogue with Turkish authorities to address content and accounts that breach its policies.
Dialogues continue
“We are pleased to see Instagram back up and running in Türkiye,” a Meta spokesperson states. “We remain in dialogue with the authorities and will continue to act on any violating content and accounts.”
“This includes removing content that breaches our Dangerous Organizations & Individuals policy and applying newsworthy allowances where appropriate,” the spokesperson added.
Türkiye reinstated Instagram access on Saturday following the suspension imposed on Aug. 2 because of non-compliance with local laws.
The ban follows accusations that Instagram blocked posts expressing condolences over the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader.
The block sparked protests from users and businesses dependent on the platform. A court in Izmir recently ordered the arrest of a woman for inciting hatred and insulting the president after criticizing the ban.
Agreed to review actions
Meta asserts that it has not altered its policies but has agreed to review the actions taken on policy-violating content and accounts related to Haniyeh’s death.
The company maintains its standard approach of applying newsworthy allowances to content posted by Turkish politicians, allowing policy-violating content if it serves the public interest.
Türkiye ranks fifth globally in Instagram usage with over 57 million users, following India, the United States, Brazil and Indonesia, according to Statista.
