Summary:
Facebook Live, a feature introduced in August 2015 for celebrities and gradually rolled out for regular users let users broadcast live videos, with the intention of being able to present public events or private celebrations. However, the feature has been used to record multiple crimes, deaths, and violent incidents, causing significant media attention towards its use.
Allegations:
- With the introduction of the Facebook Live feature, Facebook has been criticised for not faster removing violent footage depicting murder, shootings, rapes and assault. These live broadcasts have remained viewable for days before being reviewed and taken down from the platform.
- The UK Commons home affairs committee condemned Facebook and other companies for its lack of expediency in taking down objectionable content. The committee members stated: “We recommend that the government consult on a system of escalating sanctions, to include meaningful fines for social media companies which fail to remove illegal content within a strict timeframe.”
Defence:
- To combat the problem, Facebook decreased its reliance on user feedback, and hired a team of 3000 additional moderators to review live content around the clock.
- Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said: “Keeping people safe is our top priority. We won’t stop until we get it right.”