Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has introduced controversial changes to its hate speech guidelines, now allowing users to label LGBTQ individuals as mentally ill based on their sexuality or gender identity. The policy adjustment, announced Tuesday, is part of broader shifts in the company’s content moderation practices.
While the updated guidelines continue to prohibit general insults about someone’s intellect or mental health, they now include a notable exception for allegations of mental illness linked to gender or sexual orientation. Meta justified this change by referencing political and religious discourse and common usage of terms like “weird.”
The new guidelines also remove existing restrictions on hate speech based on protected characteristics, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, and sexual orientation. Additionally, policies banning dehumanizing language, such as referring to transgender or nonbinary individuals as “it,” have been scrapped.
These changes coincide with Meta’s decision to replace its current fact-checking program with a community-driven system modeled after X’s (formerly Twitter) Community Notes. CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the move, citing a societal shift toward prioritizing free speech.
LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD condemned the policy changes, with its President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, stating, “Meta is giving the green light for people to target LGBTQ people, women, immigrants, and other marginalized groups with violence, vitriol, and dehumanizing narratives. This normalization of anti-LGBTQ hatred prioritizes profit over user safety and true freedom of expression.”
Meta has not commented on the backlash. The company’s latest decisions come amid reports of its efforts to align with President-elect Donald Trump, including a $1 million donation to his second inaugural fund and the appointment of UFC president and Trump supporter Dana White to Meta’s board.
