Updates Banning Policy
Updates Banning Policy, Facebook updated its banning policy on Monday in an effort to clarify and make consistent how it treats sensitive content that involves violence, sex, and much more.
According to The New York Times, the world's largest social network now encompasses 1.4 billion users across nearly every country in the world, and keeping up with local laws and different cultural attitudes can often prove difficult.
"For example, the company flip-flopped repeatedly on whether to allow beheading videos on the service before recently deciding to ban them," the Times wrote, referring to violent acts committed by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
"In December, it blocked a page in Russia that was promoting an anti-government protest, then allowed copycat pages to stay up. And in October, it created an exception to its requirement that people use their real names on the service when it allowed San Francisco’s drag queens to use their stage names while continuing to crack down on others using false names."
The new rules, referred to as "Community Standards" by company founder Mark Zuckerberg, are guided by "the spirit of giving the most voice to the most people."
In light of that, threats of violence and bullying will be removed from the network when such posts are flagged by one or more user. That means that so-called "revenge porn" — when a jilted lover posts racy photos of their ex online — will not be tolerated.
When it comes to outright nudity, Facebook has always banned the display of genitals, as well as fully exposed buttocks, and exposed breasts wherein the nipple is visible. There are exceptions, as women engaged in breastfeeding and women with post-mastectomy scarring are allowed.
Along with the updated Community Guidelines, Facebook released its Global Government Requests Report for the second half of 2014. The report said that India requested over 5,000 pieces of content be removed from the network for violating local laws, with Turkey requesting over 3,000 similar takedown requests. The U.S. requested no such takedowns.
According to The New York Times, the world's largest social network now encompasses 1.4 billion users across nearly every country in the world, and keeping up with local laws and different cultural attitudes can often prove difficult.
"For example, the company flip-flopped repeatedly on whether to allow beheading videos on the service before recently deciding to ban them," the Times wrote, referring to violent acts committed by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
"In December, it blocked a page in Russia that was promoting an anti-government protest, then allowed copycat pages to stay up. And in October, it created an exception to its requirement that people use their real names on the service when it allowed San Francisco’s drag queens to use their stage names while continuing to crack down on others using false names."
The new rules, referred to as "Community Standards" by company founder Mark Zuckerberg, are guided by "the spirit of giving the most voice to the most people."
In light of that, threats of violence and bullying will be removed from the network when such posts are flagged by one or more user. That means that so-called "revenge porn" — when a jilted lover posts racy photos of their ex online — will not be tolerated.
When it comes to outright nudity, Facebook has always banned the display of genitals, as well as fully exposed buttocks, and exposed breasts wherein the nipple is visible. There are exceptions, as women engaged in breastfeeding and women with post-mastectomy scarring are allowed.
Along with the updated Community Guidelines, Facebook released its Global Government Requests Report for the second half of 2014. The report said that India requested over 5,000 pieces of content be removed from the network for violating local laws, with Turkey requesting over 3,000 similar takedown requests. The U.S. requested no such takedowns.