Facebook goes all in for Communist China, BANS tribute to Tiananmen Square massacre victims

Facebook has apologized for initially banning a temporary frame around a profile picture that paid tribute to the Tiananmen Square student massacre in June 1989.

The social media platform claims that banning the temporary frame that commemorated the 28th anniversary of the pro-democracy movement crushed by the Chinese military was a mistake.

Facebook routinely allows customized frames as an overlay to profile pictures as a method of bringing awareness to certain causes.

Fung Ka Keung, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, actually submitted two Tiananmen-themed frames in late May. Facebook rejected the first one, claiming that it “belittles, threatens or attacks  a particular person, legal entity, nationality or group.”

The initial design reportedly called for the end of the dictatorship while the second one contained the words “don’t forget June 4.”

According to the Daily Mail, Fung received an email from Facebook explaining, “‘Our member of staff had mistakenly rejected your picture frame. We sincerely apologize for the incident and had approved the use of your frame now.”

Facebook is blocked on mainland China, but is still accessible in Hong Kong, which is a quasi-autonomous, so-called special administrative region. As has been widely reported, tension exists between the Beijing government and democracy advocates in Hong Kong who seek real autonomy for the city/state.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if political motivations were behind the decisions. I doubt they would have been approved if what happened wasn’t publicized,” Fung told the BBC.

After the frames obtained approval, thousands of Facebook users updated their profile with the same art.