A petition has been created to Meta asking to add the Belarusian language to Instagram and Threads
A petition directed to Meta asking to add the Belarusian language to Instagram and Threads services has appeared on the Change.org platform.
The petition's rationale states that for English-speaking users, the words Belarusian and Russian may seem similar, but in reality, they refer to entirely different phenomena. Belarusian is a distinct, fully-fledged language that has the right to be represented on international digital platforms.
About 9 million people live in Belarus, many of whom actively use Instagram and Threads. However, due to the absence of the Belarusian language in Meta's services, they are forced to use Russian, Ukrainian, or English. This leads to several negative consequences:
- Using the services becomes less convenient.
- It creates a feeling of secondary status and underestimation of the Belarusian nation — both among Belarusians themselves and in the eyes of foreigners.
- The situation seems unfair, as over 15 years of Instagram's existence, many languages have appeared in it, but Belarusian is still not among them.
It is noted that the presence of a national language in a service usually increases user trust and loyalty to the product and company. Belarusian users often consciously choose platforms and services where the Belarusian language is available. Therefore, Belarusian localization would also be beneficial for Meta itself.
The initiator of the petition is ready to assist in organizing the translation process: to assemble a team of professional translators and volunteer linguists who can not only perform the localization but also maintain the Belarusian version of the services in the future.