Ofcom has taken the decision to suspend its Online Safety Supervision Director, Fadzai Madzingira, amid allegations that she engaged with social media content critical of Israel. Madzingira had only been in this role for four months, responsible for ensuring that technology platforms comply with the new online safety regulations set by the UK government.
The controversy arose when it was revealed that on her private Instagram account, Madzingira had reportedly “liked” a post from the Black Lives Matter UK account, which accused the UK of participating in what it termed the “ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians.” The post featured the hashtag #freepalestine.
Madzingira was also alleged to have posted comments expressing her concerns about the treatment of Palestinians, mentioning her surprise at the ongoing situation in what she referred to as an “apartheid state.” She also referred to Jewish activists who survived Auschwitz and their solidarity with Palestine.
An Ofcom spokesperson responded to the situation, stating, “Having reviewed these comments, we’ve suspended this colleague, pending further investigation.”
Ofcom’s own code of practice advises its employees to avoid making comments that could potentially harm the regulator’s reputation or express opinions on politically or publicly controversial matters that could compromise the perception of impartiality in the broadcasting sphere.
Prior to her position at Ofcom, Madzingira worked as the Global Hate Speech Content Policy Lead at Meta, formerly known as Facebook. Her appointment at Ofcom was described as bringing a wealth of experience in the field of online trust and safety.
Notably, Madzingira is a Rhodes Scholar with two master’s degrees from the University of Oxford.
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