Facebook Briefly Blocks Netanyahu Chatbot On Election Day

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara casts their votes during Israel's parliamentary election at a polling station in Jerusalem Sept. 17, 2019. Heidi Levine/Pool via REUTERS

JERUSALEM—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at Facebook on Sept. 17 after the social network blocked a “chatbot” from his right-wing Likud party’s account for violating election day rules.

The function, a type of automated software that simulates a conversation with a user, was running again within a few hours.