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| Rather than set a bright-line policy on violent images, Facebook must now decide what is the right context for clips of people being decapitated. |
Facebook (FB, Fortune 500)temporarily banned graphic, violent content from its site back in May,
when clips including a particular video of a woman being beheaded were
spreading across the site. That video resurfaced recently after Facebook
quietly lifted the ban on graphic
videos, and it once again caused a stir.
Facebook
defended its decision on Monday after a BBC article publicized the lifting of
the ban, but just 24 hours later, Facebook once again decided to take the video
down.
But
rather than set a bright-line policy on violent images, Facebook instead backed
itself into a gray area. The site removed the specific beheading video that
caused the flap -- but going forward, the site said it will make a
determination about each post individually.
Facebook
said it will allow the videos to stay up as long as posters "condemn"
the violence and warn viewers of the graphic nature of the content. But the
content will be removed if it is deemed to be shared for "sadistic
pleasure or to celebrate violence."
In doing
so, Facebook has created yet another murky policy -- and thrust itself into
making difficult decisions around controversial content on a case-by-case
basis.
Credits: money.cnn.com by Julianne Pepitone
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