Facebook faces criticism for content regulation

Social media website Facebook is facing strong criticism over its content regulation policy, after refusing at first to remove inappropriate pictures and videos. 

The site sparked outrage last week when it refused to remove a series of videos shot in Mexico showing two men and a woman being decapitated.  

When a student reported the videos, Facebook denied at first that it “violated Facebook’s standard on graphic violence”. In the following days, a group of Facebook users started an online petition asking the removal of these offensive videos and in few hours they managed to collect more than 400 signatures.  

On Wednesday, the US-based Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), compelled Facebook to remove the videos. FOSI is one of the leading safety organisations on the Facebook Safety Advisory Board which meets to discuss “issues related to online safety”.

Stephen Balkam, the organisation’s chief executive, said: “Personally and professionally I feel that Facebook has got this call wrong”.

It is not the first time the social media giant has faced criticism over its relaxed content policy.  Some time ago Facebook refused to remove a page showing naked pictures of girls posted by their ex-boyfriends as revenge.

When questioned about the incident of the videos showing decapitation scenes, a  Facebook spokesperson replied: “We will remove instances of these videos that are reported to us while we evaluate our policy and approach to this type of content.”

Annalisa Ratti

Photo: Alamy