Meta, which operates Facebook, Instagram, and Threads with a combined 3.5 billion users, appeared before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion in Australia to address concerns about online hate.

In January 2025, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced major revisions to the company’s Community Standards on Hate Speech, aiming to "get rid of a bunch of restrictions" on discussions around topics such as gender and immigration. He also introduced changes to enforcement practices to reduce over-enforcement and the removal of content that did not violate community standards. Zuckerberg stated, "It means we're going to catch less bad stuff, but we'll also reduce the number of innocent people's posts and accounts that we accidentally take down."

A Meta policy director, Mr. Good, testified that these changes did not lead to an increase in antisemitic content. He explained that Meta’s proactive content moderation, which uses artificial intelligence to remove harmful posts before they are viewed, primarily targets illegal and high-severity violations like terrorism, drugs, frauds, and scams.

Counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC highlighted "substantial" complaints from Jewish advocacy groups claiming more antisemitic content was shared on Meta’s platforms, particularly due to a reliance on user-reported violations. However, data showed that only 1.2 million items of hate speech were removed from July to September 2025, after the policy changes.

When asked about a 79% drop in hateful conduct content metrics following the January 2025 policy update, Mr. Good was challenged to provide alternative explanations but maintained the changes were the primary factor. He acknowledged that some content might not be removed if unreported but emphasized that Meta is "very carefully monitoring the extent to which that is the case."

Mr. Good described the discussions with advocacy groups as "overwhelmingly productive and constructive."

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