Facebook and its secret rules over what users can post
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Facebook allows users to livestream attempts to self- harm because it doesn’t want to censor or punish people in distress.
That is according to its internal rulebook leaked to the UK newspaper, The Guardian. The footage will however be removed once there is no longer an opportunity to help the person.
The publication says: “It has seen more than 100 internal training manuals, spreadsheets and flowcharts that give unprecedented insight into the blueprints Facebook has used to moderate issues such as violence, hate speech, terrorism, pornography, racism and self-harm.
Facebook's rules on showing cruelty to animals https://t.co/InX0p8CFBu
— The Guardian (@guardian) May 21, 2017
The policy on self-harming which includes suicide attempts is said to have been formulated on the advice of experts and reflects the social media company’s attempts to deal with disturbing content on its site.
Facebook's rules/guidelines for what users may publish should mostly remind us that a single company now dominates global conversation.
— Dan Gillmor (@dangillmor) May 21, 2017
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Facebook is said to have an extensive list of secret rules and guidelines for deciding what its 2 billion users can and cannot post.
Incidents such as the Thai father who filmed himself killing his 11-month-old daughter before killing himself, plus that of the Cleveland killer shooting dead an elderly man, have fueled debate about the role and ethics of the social media giant.