Toronto (October 12, 2020) - Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) applauds Facebook's decision to update its hate speech policy to ban Holocaust denial and distortion.

The announcement was made earlier today by Facebook and its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who also stated that anyone searching for the Holocaust on Facebook will be directed to "authoritative sources to get accurate information."

"This decision by Facebook to update its hate speech policy to include a ban on Holocaust denial and distortion is a major step forward in the fight against antisemitism on social media, at a time when hate targeting Jews is thriving online," said Michael Levitt, FSWC president and CEO. "It's time for all social media platforms to enforce a strict prohibition on Holocaust denial and other forms of antisemitism, which continue to fester online and have contributed to the increase in real-world violent attacks against Jewish people around the world."