Facebook Apologizes for Rejecting Commemorative Tiananmen Massacre Frame Occurred on 30 May 2017

Facebook has functionality that allows users to overlay their profile picture with something (a “frame”), typically to show support for a cause. One user created a frame to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and it was rejected by Facebook after the review process that each new frame must go through.

From the Hong Kong Free Press:

Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union Chief Executive Fung Ka-keung, who made the frame, told HKFP that he submitted the item for review at around 5pm on Friday.

He said he received a notification within 24 hours saying that his design was rejected, on the basis that it fails to meet the company’s terms and policies. Facebook said the frame “belittles, threatens or attacks a particular person, legal entity, nationality or group.”

After this received significant negative media attention, Facebook reversed the decision. A spokesperson from Facebook said the following to the Hong Kong Free Press:

We mistakenly rejected the said photo frame. We apologise for the incident and have notified the relevant user that the frame has been approved