Hunor Both recalled that in almost every election campaign, Facebook and YouTube are known to have restricted or banned conservative content. He pointed to Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar’s video - filmed in Vienna, during the 2018 election campaign - on the dangers of migration, which Facebook removed, but reinstated later. According to Mr. Both,
we know from reports leaked later that the content moderators removed the video based on completely subjective and arbitrary judgments.
Discussing censorship, Mr. Both noted similar incidents in Hungary. He cited right-wing influencers who regularly face censorship and mentioned the PestiSracok.hu news site, which Meta had banned last year without providing an explanation, along with the Neokohn news outlet, which faced a similar temporary ban.
As far as I know, neither Rabbi Shlomo Koves's Facebook post, nor Miklos Kasler's post about Csaba Bojte was a violation of any guidelines, yet both were banned. There was no legitimate reason provided in either case.
– Mr. Both emphasized.
Trump declares war
Commenting on Donald Trump's announcement, the analyst underlined that the president-elect's frustration was understandable, especially as his Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts were suspended in 2020.
Of course later, Mr. Zuckerberg acknowledged that he had faced pressure from the White House to censor certain content. This is an entirely arbitrary restriction on free speech, using social media as a political weapon, and it could undermine public interest, as the sitting president wasn’t even allowed to share his opinions on that platform,
– Szazadveg's senior analyst recalled, noting that the number of social media users is a key factor in this debate.
To illustrate, in 2023 there were over 7 million Facebook users in Hungary alone, and globally, that number exceeds 3 billion. That says it all.
In his view, no tool is currently more effective for mass communication and influence than social media. He stressed that this power comes with great responsibility and should not be misused in a biased manner.
And when a platform imposes arbitrary restrictions, it ultimately restricts freedom of speech,
– Mr. Both stressed.
