Facebook has apologized for flagging a post that contained a portion of the Declaration of Independence as hate speech and removing it. To celebrate the Fourth of July, The Liberty County Vindicator decided to share the historical document on Facebook in 12 different posts leading up to Independence Day.
On the tenth day, the post, which contained paragraphs 27 through 31, was removed for violating Facebook's "standards on hate speech.” According to Fox News, it appears the term "Indian Savages" set off Facebook's algorithm for detecting hate speech. In context, the term was being used to list the "domestic insurrections" committed by King George III.
“He has excited domestic insurrections against us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”
The Vindicator notified Facebook and the post was restored. A Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider that "the post was removed by mistake and restored as soon as we looked into it. We process millions of reports each week, and sometimes we get things wrong."
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