Palmetto State News

Hunting rights advocate and wildlife conservation group Safari Club International is circulating a petition against Facebook and other social media outlets to "stand up against big tech's censorship of hunting."

The online petition, which has nearly 6,000 signatures, states that SCI has "heard countless stories from hunters, guides, outfitters, and more, of their accounts being locked or even taken down entirely with little to no warning or justification" by Facebook and Instagram. 

According to its website, Tucson, Arizona-based SCI boasts "50,000 members and 200 chapters."

In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, SCI has requested information on why posts and photos continuously are taken off the platform for inappropriate content.

In the letter, SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin asks Zuckerberg why such content is being flagged and removed despite being "entirely legal, appropriate content from The Hunting Consortium Ltd., a well-regarded domestic and international hunting agency." 

Hamberlin also asks and why Facebook has continued to ignore multiple attempts of outreach to resolve the issue from SCI. 

"Hunters drive conservation, wildlife management, and sustainable use. We contribute billions to conservation funding, improve critical wildlife habitat, and support local economies - yet we are treated like we are the bad guys for participating in a legal, regulated activity that provides immense benefits," the petition's website said.

Hamberlin stated that Facebook and Instagram have removed 1,000 of 1,500 posts without explanation, and the ability for followers to like, share, message and direct message various content from The Hunting Consortium website. 

Facebook's Community Standards under violent and graphic content state that imagery of animals will be removed if it includes, "humans killing animals if there is no explicit manufacturing, hunting, food consumption, processing or preparation context" or if that imagery shows "showing wounds or cuts that render visible innards or dismemberment, if there is no explicit manufacturing, hunting, taxidermy, medical treatment, rescue or food consumption, preparation or processing context, or the animal is already skinned or with its outer layer fully removed."

An Outdoor Life article stated that, “If you’re a hunter and you’re active on social media, you’re almost certain to know someone who has had posts flagged, removed, or even been locked out of their pages. Often, the posts are completely benign, but get 'flagged' as being harmful content in one form or another and removed.”

"How is a still photo of a hunter standing next to an animal more violent than a hockey fight or UFC clip?" Daily Malarkey, an email newsletter covering news, media, politics and pop culture stated, adding that “photos are being blurred-out, removed, and stamped as 'sensitive content' for violating 'community standards.' Accounts are being locked and terminated with little advance warning or justification.”