Ben Smith – Politico

Sarah Palin’s attack on a mosque two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center vanished from Facebook amid an online campaign to brand it “hate speech.”

Her note, which was reposted soon after a reporter’s inquiry Thursday morning, questioned the views of the builders of a planned moque and community center on the “hallowed ground” and called the plan a “tragic mistake.”

Neither Facebook nor Palin’s camp was immediately sure what happened, but automated systems for reporting abuse have been used effectively in the past to take aim at political speech. Palin’s note now contains a footnote saying the original was “somehow unintentionally deleted by mistake or technical glitch.”

A spokesman for Facebook, Andrew Noyes, said the company was looking into the matter:

“We’re investigating this incident to determine whether the content in question was removed by an automated system as a result of user reports that it violated our terms. We want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views while respecting the rights and feelings of others. The goal of our policies is to strike a very delicate balance between giving people the freedom to express their opinions and viewpoints – even those that may be controversial to some – and maintaining a safe and trusted environment.”