By Cristina Gallardo


Instagram owner Meta Platforms said it is reviewing its global policy on condolence messages for deceased members of organizations considered dangerous or terrorist, after Turkey lifted a nine-day ban on the social-media platform in the country.

Meta, which had been accused by a Turkish government official of censoring Instagram posts related to the killing of a Hamas senior official, said Tuesday that it often removes condolence messages when they include praise or support toward people or organizations considered dangerous or terrorists, in an effort to prevent harm.

But it said it is reviewing its global policy on condolence messages in recognition of the fact that Instagram users sometimes might simply wish to express sadness at someone's death, without praising the deceased.

The Turkish government restored access to Instagram on Saturday, following a nine-day ban on the social-media platform. A senior Turkish official had accused Instagram of censoring condolence posts over the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a political leader of the Palestinian militant and political group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Meta.

The company said it didn't reach any deal with the Turkish government or changed any of its policies.

However, Meta said that in a number of cases it has allowed content posted by Turkish politicians to remain online after weighing the public interest against the risk of harm, applying what it calls "newsworthy allowances."

"We are pleased to see that Instagram is back up and running in Turkiye, with businesses and people now able to access the vital services they need," a Meta spokesperson said.

"We remain in dialogue with the authorities and will continue to take action on any violating content and accounts. This includes removing content that violates our Dangerous Organizations & Individuals policy and applying newsworthy allowances where appropriate."

Instagram counts more than 50 million registered users in Turkey, out of a population of 85 million, according to Turkish media.


Write to Cristina Gallardo at cristina.gallardo@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

08-13-24 1018ET