Social media platforms Facebook and Instagram unblocked the #Sikh (hashtag Sikh) on Thursday after nearly three months. Facebook admitted that the hashtag was mistakenly blocked on March 7 following a report that was inaccurately reviewed by its teams.
The Sikh community had approced Facebook with a request to unblock it. An official statement released by Instagram Communication on their Twitter handle (@Instagramcomms) said, “We have unblocked the hashtag #sikh on Instagram and are working to unblock #sikh on Facebook. We’re investigating why this happened. We will follow up here later today with more information.” It further said that #sikh is now unblocked on Facebook too.
“Thanks for your patience today. We investigated this issue and found that these hashtags were mistakenly blocked on March 7th following a report that was inaccurately reviewed by our teams,” read the third tweet.
The company said that this is an incredibly important, painful time for the Sikh community. “We designed hashtags to allow people to come together and share with one another. It’s never our intention to silence the voices of this community, we are taking the necessary steps so this doesn’t happen again.”
On Wednesday, the issue surfaced on the social media platforms after the users, including Sikh organisation based in the western countries, started postings on their Facebook accounts about blocking of hashtag #Sikh. Some users found out about the blocked hashtag when they tried post about Operation Blue Star on the Golden Temple in Amritsar in the year 1984. They started questioning the company and then then Facebook and Instagram carried out its investigation into the matter.
{{/usCountry}}On Wednesday, the issue surfaced on the social media platforms after the users, including Sikh organisation based in the western countries, started postings on their Facebook accounts about blocking of hashtag #Sikh. Some users found out about the blocked hashtag when they tried post about Operation Blue Star on the Golden Temple in Amritsar in the year 1984. They started questioning the company and then then Facebook and Instagram carried out its investigation into the matter.
{{/usCountry}}Canada-based author Rupi Kaur also raised the issue tweeted, “The hypocrisy of @facebook’s approach to free speech: zuckerberg says fb’s principles prohibit him from blocking trump as he incites violence & hate. meanwhile as sikhs raise their voice to mark the injustices of 1984: sikh hashtags are blocked. @instagramcomms do better.
To Kaur tweet, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram replied, “Not sure how the #sikh hashtag ended up blocked. It’s now unblocked on Instagram, we are working to unblock it on Facebook, and we’re investigating why this happened. #Sikh is now unblocked on Facebook.”
Ravinder Singh alias Ravi Singh, founder and CEO of Khalsa Aid, tweeted, “It’s absolutely crazy that @Facebook has banned the #Sikh hashtag !!!! Is mr #Zuckerberg now banning people who are #Sikh ?!?? This must be THE STUPIDEST ban ever!!!”