Recently, the company came under fire after a leaked internal document accusing the company of negatively impacting teenage girls. The whistleblower behind the story claims the company prioritizes profits over safety. While Facebook has denied these accusations, these events led it to halt its work on ‘Instagram for Kids’. Facebook announced the updates on Wednesday, October 13, which is National Bullying Prevention and Awareness Day in the United States. It said that it consulted a wide group of stakeholders before updating the policies.
Facebook Plans to Tackle Mass Harassment
The first of Facebook’s new updates seek to protect users from harassment and intimidation from multiple accounts. These are usually coordinated attacks on individuals who face a significant risk of online harm. The company said it would remove these efforts even if the content does not violate its policies. In the same vein, the company says it will remove mass harassment content sent via direct messages or left as comments on posts. Facebook then added that it “will require additional information or context to enforce this new policy.” Furthermore, the company announced it will remove state-backed networks that are used to coordinate mass posting. This includes “accounts, Pages, and Groups that work together to harass or silence people.”
Increased Protections to Public Figures from Degrading or Sexualizing Content
The second group of updates focuses on protecting public figures from abuse on Facebook. The company seeks to find the right balance between protecting public figures and allowing their followers to engage with them. The company says that its bullying and harassment policy “differentiates between public figures and private individuals to enable freedom of expression and legitimate public discourse around those in the public eye.” Facebook already removes degrading or sexualizing attacks against public figures. After consulting with its stakeholders, it has added the following types of content to the list:
Content that is severely sexualizing Profiles, Pages, Groups, or events that create or post the sexualizing content consistently Photoshopped images and drawings that are derogatory or sexualized Attacks that target public figures by tagging, mentioning, or posting to their account Content that is degrading and shows “individuals in the process of bodily functions”
Oftentimes, deeming something as “unwanted” can be a subjective exercise. Therefore, Facebook said it will “rely on additional context from the individual experiencing the abuse to take action.” Facebook highlighted that being a public figure is not always a choice. The fame can lead to more bullying and harassment. The company added that this move will benefit a number of people from underrepresented communities such as women, ethnic or racial minorities, or the LGBTQ community.
