Facebook Community Standards on Graphic Content

1 May

I’m so heated by the video I posted about last night, I could barely sleep. It’s made my blood boil repeatedly throughout today. At times, I could barely think straight.

I’ve reported to Facebook several times now, as have many of my friends, and everyone has started getting a “rejection notification” indicating that Facebook doesn’t see anything wrong with it, along with a link to the Facebook Community Standards which includes the following reason for not removing this video:

Graphic Content

Facebook has long been a place where people turn to share their experiences and raise awareness about issues important to them. Sometimes, those experiences and issues involve graphic content that is of public interest or concern, such as human rights abuses or acts of terrorism. In many instances, when people share this type of content, it is to condemn it. However, graphic images shared for sadistic effect or to celebrate or glorify violence have no place on our site.When people share any content, we expect that they will share in a responsible manner. That includes choosing carefully the audience for the content. For graphic videos, people should warn their audience about the nature of the content in the video so that their audience can make an informed choice about whether to watch it.

Lets break this down a bit: 

1. Facebook has long been a place where people turn to share their experiences and raise awareness about issues important to them.
This video is not raising awareness of an issue where a solution is present, nor does it do anything but exploit what happened to this child. There’s no social cause involved. Through a little more research, I’ve discovered that this video was taken in 2012 and apparently, the father is still in jail, which is AWESOME, but again, let’s get real. This video post is for the exclusive purpose of causing people to comment and like it on Gossip’s Facebook page. They have received a ton of requests to remove the content and they have not. It’s probably the #1 most talked about post on their page though, so… again. NO SOCIAL CAUSE. Just exposure to a tragedy, where a child is the victim. And again, it’s not on CNN’s page, it’s on GOSSIP.

2. Sometimes, those experiences and issues involve graphic content that is of public interest or concern, such as human rights abuses or acts of terrorism. In many instances, when people share this type of content, it is to condemn it. However, graphic images shared for sadistic effect or to celebrate or glorify violence have no place on our site. 
This video does not raise awareness to solve a problem, as previously stated, so really, it is about glorifying the violence. If there were a man hunt for this “father” or some reason to enflame the public about his actions in the name of justice, maybe I’d understand, but alas, there’s none of the above.

3. “When people share any content, we expect that they will share in a responsible manner.”
My experiences on social media (and lets be honest, I’m not a novice), are that people are not responsible and few of the 1.28 BILLION users have ever read the policies on posting anything. If anything, social media offers a home for being deliberately irresponsible, as we are all drones hiding behind screens, and no one will ever know who we REALLY are. We can do/say/be anything we’d like to be online. Expecting responsible behaviors of 1.28 BILLION people, is like expecting to birth a baby with a full vocabulary and a scholarship to Harvard, on the day it’s born. It’s asinine to expect 1.28 people ranging from 13-90 to do ANYTHING consistently, besides breathe, eat (no, too many eating disorders), poop (that’s just inconsistent for everyone), and sleep (another inconsistent behavior). It’s pretty cool that Facebook is so optimistic about the global reach of their users, but this is about a SERIOUS issue and it seems that this expectation is a little vague when it comes to the global scale.

4. “That includes choosing carefully the audience for the content.”
How many users of their 1.28 billion even know that you can pick and choose your audience for any post and further, how many people actually use this function (unless they’re trying to hide something from their parents, co-workers, employers or children)? Way to turn yet another blind eye, guys. Endless optimism in humanity served dailey at Facebook.

5. “For graphic videos, people should warn their audience about the nature of the content in the video so that their audience can make an informed choice about whether to watch it.”
That’s very logical. Good thing the script for their video players are written to automatically play videos on rollover state. That TOTALLY gives people the opportunity to make an informed decision. In my case, I was reading the post and swiping to the next on my iPhone, as the video just started automatically. SO RAD. Contradict your own code development in your Community Standards. Looks like their legal team was on it for this one. Even if they did cut this function from the site, you’d still be trusting the same people of points 1 and 2 a little too generously.
In the case of this video, the only warning Gossip give is this:

“This is NOT a cut-ass, this is CHILD ABUSE and its no where compared to 12yrs old girl cut-ass.

(Thank God this DID NOT happen in Trinidad & Tobago. This took place in Malaysia and the man in the Video and the woman filming it, were arrested and JAILED!) Apologies for the DISTRESS caused.”

 

Maybe next time they need to learn what a “warning” would include, like for example; “This video shows extreme violence to a child by his father. Do not watch if this would upset you.” Or, you know, something of an actual warning.

***Apparently, a “cut-ass” is when a parent whips a child after they have been bad. Thanks for the clarity, Urban Dictionary.

6. Many, many users on Facebook have commented that they’ve reported the video and have gotten the “ask Gossip to remove the post” cop out, and thought those same users have begged Gossip to remove the video, they have not. This just helps them keep their like and comments growing, deepening their community engagement.

The only solution I can see at this point, is that we don’t stop harassing Facebook about this page, and begging for Gossip to remove it. I can’t force them to, but I sure can be relentless.

Leave a comment here to help show that people want this content removed.

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