Image: Tom Solari/techgeek.com.au
Images from the highly-controversial Facebook page known as ‘Aboriginal Memes’ page still exist despite the page was removed after numerous complaints to Facebook, and an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority for potential breaches of the Racial Discrimination Act in Australia.
The original page, believed to have been created by a 16-year-old male in Perth according to SBS, has already been removed – it is unknown whether it was done by Facebook or the creator. Facebook yesterday took down the page before reclassifying the page as “Controversial Humour”.
But two pages have already now been created, both pages techgeek.com.au refuse to link – one with nearly 3,000 likes, before it became inaccessible at the time of writing. This page, we believe, was also the one cited in today’s AM programme on the ABC.
This page is still breaching Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act – which bans any offensive behaviour that is based on a person’s race, colour or ethnicity. Talking to the AM programme, Holding Redlich solicitor Joel Zyngier said, “It’s very similar content. There just appears to be less of it. Some of the images posted that I found particularly offensive have been removed and others have been put up.”
“It’s all content which is quite clearly based on race and I think is reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate an Aboriginal person.”
The other one, however, has a much more smaller audience with 34 likes, and appears to have just started up 3 hours ago. It’s administrator proudly states that “you won’t get banned or deleted from posting here” and claims the page is “satire”. Again, we refuse to link to the page.