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TOI: Facebook deletes ISSF's page, world shooting body looks for answers

In a bizarre case of monitoring of online content, Facebook decided to delete International Shooting Sports Federation’s (ISSF) official page from their site.

Posts related to guns and ammunition can be one of the reasons for the deletion of the ISSF page. As per their policy, Facebook prohibits promotion of ‘firearms, ammunition, weapons of any kind, fireworks and explosives and ads promoting the brandishing of firearms’. 

The page created in 2010, was deleted two days ago, and the world shooting body is still looking for clarity on Facebook’s decision. Being the world governing body for one of the oldest Olympic sports, ISSF page had over 6,00,000 members, including many Olympic medallists, participants and active shooters. 

When TOI contacted ISSF, their Administrative Council member Anna Leshchikova said the federation has also sent a legal query to Facebook, however, they are yet to receive any reply. 

“We have sent multiple inquiries to the Facebook support team since Wednesday night. The ISSF lawyers sent formal letters asking to restore the page as well. But there is still no answer. 

Unfortunately it’s not possible (to get the reason for deletion of the page) at the moment as there is no feedback from Facebook,” Leshchikova said. 

Leshchikova added that deletion of their will disrupt their plan to promote the Olympic sport. “We consider this deletion of the page totally unacceptable. It’s an official page of the sports federation promoting a healthy lifestyle, commitment to Olympism, and informing of sports with a rich history. There is no aggression in our sport – there is only beauty, athleticism, and high technologies. If those who blocked our account had at least once watched the broadcasts of shooting sports which, by the way, we regularly streamed over Facebook, they would know it.” 

Since the international calendar had been scrapped by the ISSF due to Covid-19 outspread, the ISSF was running a mask designing competition on their social media pages. 

“We had an active and engaged audience of over 600,000 followers. Last week we started a poll for the mask design contest, where we promoted measures (from Covid-19 spread) which are so important now. This contest got an extraordinary response, but it is partially disrupted at the moment. We will strive to restore our page, especially since the shooting community supports us actively,” she added. 

 

Tushar Dutt

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/shooting/facebook-deletes-issfs-page-world-shooting-body-looks-for-answers/articleshow/79083226.cms

The Times of India, Tushar Dutt

 

ISSF Partners