Manasi VarmaFacebook’s secret blacklist has been leaked, and it contains the names of as many as 10 “dangerous individuals and organizations” from India, including terror, extremist, or mutant groups. The list is comprised and over 4,000 people and groups, from militarized social movements and white supremacists, to alleged terrorists, all of which are considered dangerous by Facebook. The leak was brought about on Tuesday by The Intercept.
Image Credits: Council on Foreign Relations
Multiple Indian Groups Included in the List
Indian groups like the Communist Party of India (Maoist), the Hindutva group Sanatan Sanstha, and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muviah) are mentioned in the list, says The Intercept. Also included are the Khalistan Tiger Force, the All Tripura Tiger Force, People’s Revolutionary Part of Kangleipak, and the Kangleipak Communist Party.
Additionally, Islamic terror and extremist groups like the Afzhal Guru Squad of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Indiaan Mujahideen, as well as a number of local or sub-groups of global organizations like Taliban and the Islamic State, which have operated in India or actions a number of countries, have also been included.
Over half the list is comprised of alleged foreign terrorists, most of whom are Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian. The list, along with Facebook’s own policy, hint at harsher restrictions being places on marginalized groups, as per the experts that have been cited by the Intercept.
The platform apparently has put in place a three-tier system that indicates the exact type of enforcement that will be taken with regard to content. Hate groups, terrorists groups, and criminal organizations have been placed at Tier 1, which happens to be the most restrictive level. Meanwhile, Tier 3, which is the least restrictive level, includes militarized social movements. The Intercept has called these groups “mostly right-wing American anti-government militias,” which happen to be almost completely white.
Adversarial Space
None of the organizations that have been mentioned on the list are allowed to have a presence on Facebook’s platform. Facebook hasn’t tried to dispute the authenticity of the list, but it did say in a statement that the list is kept secret because it is an “adversarial space.” Policy Director for Counterterrorism and Dangerous Organizations, Brian Fishman, has said the platform doesn’t want any terrorists, criminal organizations, or hate groups, and so, thousands of them have been banned, including more than 250 white supremacist groups. He has added that the policies regarding who qualifies for being banned are reviewed and updated regularly.