Censoring Facebook: Social network's violent video dilemma

[Jazzy]

Facebook's decision to remove videos showing people being decapitated leaves the firm in a quandary: should or shouldn't it impose a wider censorship policy?

Originally the social network rejected calls from users to delete the clips saying that it wanted to "preserve people's rights to describe, depict and comment on the world".

But after the BBC revealed that one of its own safety advisers - the head of the Family Online Safety Institute - had criticised its decision, the firm announced a U-turn, saying it would remove clips showing beheadings while it re-evaluated its rules.

That potentially opens a can of worms.

Since publishing the article, readers have contacted the BBC to complain about other videos, including:

one that shows killings which do not involve beheadings
clips involving cruelty to dogs and other animals
a smartphone recording of a schoolgirl being punched to the ground by another pupil
In all cases they said the network had refused their requests to remove the material. A spokeswoman for Facebook confirmed its policy had only been amended in regard to decapitations.

But imposing stricter controls would open the firm up to other criticism.

Before his death, internet freedom campaigner Aaron Swartz warned of the dangers of privately owned parts of the net limiting what was posted onto their sites. He called this "corporate tyranny" and named Facebook as a specific concern.

Full article

Question: Should or shouldn't Facebook impose a wider censorship policy? Please explain your answer.

 

[JetWing34]

They should.

Videos that deal with cruelty, violence, and even murder should not be accepted, and if anyone pulls this off, their accounts will be taken down, the federal investigation crews arrest such persons who post these videos, and the violators shall face fines and inprisonment, along with the probation.

 

[Evil Eye]

I, for one, have no desire whatsoever to view videos of people being killed or animals being tortured. It's important to take note of such matters, but showing all the gory details on frigging Facebook?