The Christchurch terrorist attack has landed Facebook (and its subsidiary Instagram) in hot waters. The reason behind it being the live broadcast of the heinous attack through Facebook on 15th March.
Facebook is now being pressurized politically to do whatever it takes to prevent any such broadcasts from making it to the platform in the future.
The Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg recently proposed changes that the company plans on implementing. The changes were proposed on Instagram’s press release channel.
First of all, Ms. Sandberg condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the victims, their families, the Muslim community and all of New Zealand in general, on behalf of everyone at Facebook. She then continued by saying that it was right to hold Facebook and other online platforms accountable for the widespread of incident’s videos.
Ms. Sandberg assured everyone that the company has already started taking steps to tackle the situation and is welcoming any feedback as to how things can be improved. Notable improvements include tightening the rules for Facebook Live, as in restricting some people from using the feature (based on multiple factors but, mainly the prior violations of community standards). In addition to that, the issue of ever-rising hate on online platforms will also be dealt with in due time.
Even if some sort of questionable content avoids detection, measures are also underway to identify and remove it promptly. Last but not the least, Instagram and Facebook’s approach towards dealing with a reported video is also undergoing changes in order for it to become more effective.
Ms. Sandberg followed this by informing that nearly 900 versions of the video have been uploaded until now. She added that people willing to cause harm will always find a way to get past the security measures and make their voices heard and that’s exactly why all of us have to persistently struggle to stay ahead of such people.
Read Next: Facebook Discontinues the Creator app!
Photo: shutterstock
Facebook is now being pressurized politically to do whatever it takes to prevent any such broadcasts from making it to the platform in the future.
The Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg recently proposed changes that the company plans on implementing. The changes were proposed on Instagram’s press release channel.
First of all, Ms. Sandberg condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the victims, their families, the Muslim community and all of New Zealand in general, on behalf of everyone at Facebook. She then continued by saying that it was right to hold Facebook and other online platforms accountable for the widespread of incident’s videos.
Ms. Sandberg assured everyone that the company has already started taking steps to tackle the situation and is welcoming any feedback as to how things can be improved. Notable improvements include tightening the rules for Facebook Live, as in restricting some people from using the feature (based on multiple factors but, mainly the prior violations of community standards). In addition to that, the issue of ever-rising hate on online platforms will also be dealt with in due time.
"We have long had policies against hate groups and hate speech. We designated both shootings as terror attacks, meaning that any praise, support and representation of the events violates our Community Standards and is not permitted on Facebook.", announced Sheryl Sandberg in a blog post on Instagram. Adding further, "We know there is more work to do. We are deeply committed to strengthening our policies, improving our technology and working with experts to keep Facebook safe. We must all stand united against hate and work together to fight it wherever and whenever it occurs."Various white nationalist groups spreading hate such as the Lads Society, the Antipodean Resistance etc. have been permanently banned from using Facebook and Instagram. That’s not all however, as supporting or representing white nationalism has also been banned and anyone who shows solidarity with these hate spreading groups can bid adieu to these platforms.
Even if some sort of questionable content avoids detection, measures are also underway to identify and remove it promptly. Last but not the least, Instagram and Facebook’s approach towards dealing with a reported video is also undergoing changes in order for it to become more effective.
Ms. Sandberg followed this by informing that nearly 900 versions of the video have been uploaded until now. She added that people willing to cause harm will always find a way to get past the security measures and make their voices heard and that’s exactly why all of us have to persistently struggle to stay ahead of such people.
Read Next: Facebook Discontinues the Creator app!
Photo: shutterstock
