Social media and religious freedom raised at global summit as 'double-edged sword'

Summit participants discussed ways to help promote religious freedom on social media platforms while at the same time countering violence and disinformation.

"What the Oversight Board is trying to do is, is essentially hold but accountable to, appropriate standards of freedom of expression in how they operate their content… I think it was really important for them to be there because… freedom of religion is so deeply affected by how social media is moderated and… what is present and what's not on the platforms," he said.

Lou Ann Sabatier, Sabatier Consulting principal and co-founder of FoRB Women’s Alliance, says it's a double-edged sword when it comes to international religious freedom.

"There are a lot of great things happening… Connectivity between closed communities that are trying to live out their faith in some way. Secondly, raising awareness," pointing to the Rohingya in Burma. "When the genocide started happening in Burma, when the coup happened and [Burma]… people think that's not just political, that also had religious overtones for the Muslim [population]. And what they were doing is using social media to promote that this was happening and warn each other and protect each other," Sabatier said.