Facebook updates explicit content policy
Following outcry over a violent video, Facebook takes down a "death clip" and lays ground rules for future graphic content. Though that doesn't mean violent images are leaving timelines any time soon.
Following outcry over a violent video, Facebook takes down a "death clip" and lays ground rules for future graphic content. Though that doesn't mean violent images are leaving timelines any time soon.
Be wary Facebook users: beheadings may pop up on your newsfeed.
Facebook has clarified its explicit content policy, stating people are able to share graphic content 鈥� as long as it is shared to condemn it. The social media site has been flip flopping its policy over the last few months, as reports from the BBC and pressure from its safety advisors has highlighted the gray line Facebook walks as a conduit for shareable, sometimes questionable, information.
The issue started in May when the BBC asked Facebook about videos the site had allowed to be shared on the site depicting graphic violence. At the time, Facebook said, 鈥渋ts users had the right to depict the 鈥榳orld in which we live.鈥� 鈥� However, following a later interview by the BBC with one of Facebook鈥檚 safety advisors who expressed concern over the graphic content, the site issued a statement saying they were taking down the content it had been alerted of, and would re-evaluate its policy.
This was the last Facebook users heard about it until Monday when the BBC reported that a graphic video, which was believed to be filmed in Mexico and showed a woman being beheaded by a man in a mask, was still up on the site despite users demanding it be taken down. On Monday, Facebook responded to the outrage confirming that the videos would remain on the site in order for users to 鈥渃ondemn鈥� the violence, though it was considering adding a warning onto explicitly graphic content.
By Tuesday, however, it reversed its stance yet again, releasing a statement saying it was 鈥渟trengthening鈥� the enforcement of their policies. This will include taking a 鈥渉olistic鈥� look at the content in question, which includes taking into account the context in which it is uploaded, the user who is sharing the content, and whether or not it glorifies violence. If the content fails to meet these standards, it will be removed. The first example? The beheading video that sparked the most recent outcry was taken down yesterday.
Facebook鈥檚 Community Standards now states under the 鈥淕raphic Content鈥� heading:
This also comes in light of Facebook鈥檚 recent privacy changes that allow anyone to be found on Facebook search, and teenagers鈥� content to be shared publicly.