Facebook sparks backlash after translating ‘Jordanian market’ as ‘Israeli market’

• The local business owner whose post, shared in English, was mistranslated expressed his disbelief. 
• Meta has not issued any comment. 

A Facebook automated translation error has sparked backlash in Jordan after a post referring to the “Jordanian market” was translated into Arabic as “السوق الإسرائيلي” (“Israeli market”).

The issue surfaced after a local business owner shared a post about the company’s expansion and upcoming showroom launch in Jordan. The original post was written in English and referred to the “Jordanian market” and expansion across the Kingdom.

However, Facebook’s automated translation rendered the phrase “Jordanian market” as “Israeli market,” prompting the business owner to share screenshots of the original post alongside the translated version.

The owner described the error as “unbelievable” and questioned why Facebook’s translation system had produced such a significant change in meaning.

The incident quickly drew attention online, with users questioning the reliability of automated translation tools, particularly when handling politically and regionally sensitive content.

The business owner also questioned whether the mistranslation was simply a technical glitch or reflected a broader issue with algorithmic bias and automated content processing.

Meta has not yet issued an official comment on the translation error.

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