For the second time in six months, Dutch LGBTQIA+ clubs and organisations have had their accounts removed by Meta with little to no explanation.
The first time around, Meta restored some of the accounts, citing automated errors. That has not been the case this time around, reports NU.nl.
These include celebrated groups and clubs such as The Queer Agenda, Club Church, Tillatec, and others.
Several of the account holders have been unable to make meaningful contact with Meta to have their bans reversed. Meta is legally required under European law to provide explanations for removals.
Clubs are home to vital resources
For groups that are already marginalised, social media can be a community lifeline.
Tillatec founder Samuel King, whose official account lost 40,000 followers as a result of the suspension, said to NU.nl that the club’s younger clientele “use the platform to stay up to date on events. This has a major impact on us.”
READ MORE | Queers in the Netherlands: FLINTA is the acronym you need to know
The Club Church account had to restart from scratch after last year’s removal of its 19,000-follower profile. Now, having built a 6,000-user following, that’s gone, too.
In response to NU.nl’s article, Meta has said they are investigating the accounts in question. In their own words, “no system is perfect.”
Why?
That’s the real question, and there’s been no meaningful answer.
Some question whether AI moderation is at fault, including Repro Uncensored, an NGO that tracks social media censorship worldwide.
Spokesperson Martha Dimitratou stated that “It could be a word, a message, or an image that gets picked up,” which can lead to a removal.
This could explain the arbitrary nature of the decisions. As Club Church account administrator, Caspar Pisters, told NU.nl, “there are also many queer accounts that are allowed to remain on the platform.”
@thequeeragenda.ams On November 14, while our community was dancing at our event with Striptopia, our Instagram account was permanently deleted by Meta’s automated systems. We never received a warning, nor had a post ever been removed. Under the EU Digital Services Act, platforms are required to provide transparency and meaningful explanations. We did not receive one.
♬ original sound – The Queer Agenda
It seems being cautious doesn’t help, either, says Micklin Korsuize, co-founder of The Queer Agenda. After successfully reversing their previous suspension, the group “didn’t post anything anymore, but we were removed again anyway.”
Objections to the suspensions have also been rejected without explanation, leaving the groups stranded and unable to move forward.
As Carolina Are, fellow at Northumbria University’s Centre for Digital Citizens, told the Guardian last year, “It wouldn’t be as much of a problem if platforms’ appeals actually worked, but they don’t.”
For now, it seems, the groups will have to keep fighting.
What do you think of these removals? Let us know in the comments.
