Facebook recently flagged a post on the Declaration of Independence as hate speech, because of the not-so-nice things stated within the document about King George III.
The Vindicator, a local newspaper that covers South Liberty County, Texas, decided to share quotes from the Declaration of Independence in the days leading up to July 4th on its Facebook page, but it encountered a problem when sharing part 10 of the document.
The social network, which has a history of blocking innocuous content by mistake, notified The Vindicator that the post sharing a portion of the document “goes against our standards on hate speech.”
Here’s the part of the founding document that the social network’s algorithm found offensive, according to The Vindicator.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst 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.
Facebook finally reversed its decision to classify America’s founding document as “hate speech” July 3, after much commotion about the action. Facebook representatives said the flag was accidental.
“It looks like we made a mistake and removed something you posted on Facebook that didn’t go against our Community Standards,” Facebook said in an e-mail to The Vindicator. “We want to apologize and let you know that we’ve restored your content and removed any blocks on your account related to this incorrect action.”
