Facebook deletes Israel PM Netanyahu's 'personal message' post for 'violating privacy terms'

Facebook has deleted a post by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for promoting a chatbot that violates the network's privacy policy.

Netanyahu posted a link with what appeared to be a personal memo to the viewer from Israel's prime minister, but was in fact an automated message to all profiles visiting the page.

"If you have friends or family members aged 60 or over who have not yet been vaccinated, you can write a response here with their name and phone number, and I may call to convince them!" the message on the post read.

Netanyahu's Likud Party said the aim of the chatbot "was to encourage Israelis over the age of 60 to get vaccinated to save their lives, after Prime Minister Netanyahu brought vaccines to every Israeli citizen".

Likud added that they are calling "on everyone to get vaccinated so that we can open up the economy and be the first in the world to emerge from the coronavirus".

Since the rollout of vaccinations one month ago, more than 2.5 million of Israel's 9 million population have received at least one jab, the health ministry said on Friday.

But Israel has been criticised by human rights groups for refusing to vaccinate Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

While the Israeli Prison Service has extended the inoculation campaign to include Palestinian detainees, the government denies it is responsible for public health in the occupied territories. That is despite the fact it has vaccinated Israelis living in illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Israel's obligation to vaccinate Palestinians was "heightened after more than 50 years of occupation with no end in sight", Human Rights Watch said earlier this week.

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