Facebook: the moral is the intention - Computer Point

Into In that case remove the video of a beheading? Facebook has the answer in his hand: the violence should be censored only when users share it in an irresponsible

Rome – A video showing a scene of extreme violence: the beheading of a woman, accused of treason. A video presented as such by the user who uploaded it, able to shake the audience less impressionable. It was posted on Facebook, which at first seemed to endorse this kind of images without distinction as an instrument of denunciation and testimony, and that within a few hours is backtracked, approving new rules for the publication of the contents.

The BBC had identified for the video first involved in the scandal. Despite the policy of Facebook freebie removal “graphic content” can deeply shock the audience of friends, the clip remained online. Removal requests invoked by users clashed with the firmness of Facebook, news champion of freedom of expression: “Facebook has long been a place to which people turn to share their experiences, particularly when they are linked to situations controversial, such as human rights abuses, acts of terrorism and other acts of violence. ” “People are sharing this video on Facebook to condemn it – that’s why the social network would have kept online for all to see, dell’advertising private third-party – If the video were celebrated, or if the shares were to be encouraged that contains, our approach would be different. ” What Facebook does not seem to have found at first is that the clip was shared with a provocative title: “Challenge: anyone can watch this video?”.

The video has now been removed: “we reviewed recent reports of explicit content – now warns Facebook – and we concluded that that content exalt violence in an improper and irresponsible. ” The new criteria by which the social network intends to assert the right of users to express their thought and to inform the civil society have been specified more accurately: “evaluate whether the person who loads the content is doing it with a sense of responsibility, For example, accompanying the video or image with a warning and sharing it with an audience of the appropriate age. “

It will be up to the social network, now, examine with a “holistic look” reports, analyzing case by case how users disclaim their moral sense and their communicative intentions that move with respect to the publication of content on their profile pages.

Gaia Bottà