Politics

Reddit’s Policy Against Hate Speech Does Not Protect People ‘Who Are In The Majority’

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Reddit’s new rules governing hate speech on the social media platform apparently do not protect people who belong to groups that are in the “majority.”

The website laid out people the rule is intended to protect, including groups based on their race or color, religion, national origin, gender, identity, and sexual orientation, among others. Victims of “a major violent event” are also protected, as are their families.

Reddit’s rules, which were rolled out Monday, includes a large caveat.

“While the rule on hate protects such groups, it does not protect all groups or all forms of identity,” Reddit notes on its website before explaining the group that is not protected. “For example, the rule does not protect groups of people who are in the majority or who promote such attacks of hate.”

One Twitter user highlighted the change Monday and asked if “women are not protected.”

I guess women are not protected?

— The Safest Space (@TheSafestSpace) June 29, 2020

Reddit has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment clarifying what is meant by “majority.”

The platform banned a subreddit devoted to President Donald Trump Monday, citing what the company said was the influential subreddit’s repeated policy violations.

More than 790,0000 Reddit accounts used the subreddit, called “The_Donald,” to post memes and viral videos expressing support for the president. A Reddit executive told reporters that the group’s decision to allow people to target and harass other people prompted the ban.

“Reddit is a place for community and belonging, not for attacking people,” Steve Huffman, the company’s chief executive, said in a call with reporters Monday, according to The New York Times. “‘The_Donald’ has been in violation of that.”

“We’ve given them many opportunities to be successful,” Huffman added. “The message is clear that they have no intention of working with us.”

Reddit restricted the pro-Trump forum in 2019, citing months of “rule-breaking behavior” and language supposedly inciting violence. Other companies are coming down hard on conservative-related content as well.

Twitter permanently suspended prolific meme-maker “Carpe Donktum” on June 23 for violating the company’s copyright policies. The company’s decision came after Carpe Donktum shared a manipulated video June 18 of a mock report with CNN’s logo.

Trump retweeted the video, which then prompted Twitter to label the president’s retweet as “manipulated media” for the spoof CNN chyron.