Skip to main content

How does Facebook censor content? Civil rights groups demand an answer

california review of images and mark zuckerberg ceo at facebook 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Despite promising to modify its news censorship policy, Facebook still has a lot to answer for when it comes to its role as a media provider. At least that’s the view held by a coalition of rights groups that are demanding more transparency from the social network.

More than 70 advocacy groups — including the American Civil Liberties Union, Black Lives Matter, and the Center for Media Justice — have signed a letter addressed to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging him to clarify his company’s policy regarding content removal.

Recommended Videos

In the letter, the organizations write they are “deeply concerned with the … cases of Facebook censoring human rights documentation, particularly content that depicts police violence.” They cite the removal of the iconic Terror of War photograph, reports of black activists’ content being removed, and the disabling of Palestinian journalists’ accounts as recent examples of censorship on the platform.

The groups specifically request Facebook implement a number of changes. First, and foremost, they urge the platform to release basic data on all user censorship (including the number of takedown requests by law enforcement agencies) to the public. This particular demand sounds similar to the information detailed in Twitter’s recent transparency report, which saw the platform identify the United States government agencies that make the highest volume of data requests.

The coalition also wants Facebook to create a public appeals platform for Facebook users who have had content removed, and for the company to undergo an audit regarding the “outcomes” of its Facebook Live video censorship policy. The fourth, and final demand, requests the social network stop disclosing customer data to third-party agencies unless required to by law.

The furore over the company’s approach to media content was reignited in September, when the platform removed the aforementioned “Terror of War” photo from the timelines of several users in Norway, claiming it breached its nudity policy.

The resulting outcry saw Facebook reinstate the image, and later add that it would allow “newsworthy” items (despite their sensitive nature) on a case-by-case basis.

On Monday, the company reiterated those claims in a meeting with the Association of Norwegian Editors in Oslo, reports Reuters.

“We have made a number of policy changes after The Terror of War photo. We have improved our escalation process to ensure that controversial stories and images get surfaced more quickly,” said Patrick Walker, Facebook’s director of media partnership for Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

“In the weeks ahead, we are going to begin allowing more items that people find newsworthy, significant or important to the public interest, even if they might otherwise violate our standards.”

Facebook has continuously shunned any attempt to paint it as a so-called “media company.” Whereas the letter from the advocacy groups claims Facebook is now a site that breaks the news, the company’s COO Sheryl Sandberg recently stated its focus is on technology and building tools, not on making stories.

Saqib Shah
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened
An Instagram profile on an iPhone.

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.

Read more
Here’s how to delete your YouTube account on any device
How to delete your YouTube account

Wanting to get out of the YouTube business? If you want to delete your YouTube account, all you need to do is go to your YouTube Studio page, go to the Advanced Settings, and follow the section that will guide you to permanently delete your account. If you need help with these steps, or want to do so on a platform that isn't your computer, you can follow the steps below.

Note that the following steps will delete your YouTube channel, not your associated Google account.

Read more
How to download Instagram photos for free
Instagram app running on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Instagram is amazing, and many of us use it as a record of our lives — uploading the best bits of our trips, adventures, and notable moments. But sometimes you can lose the original files of those moments, leaving the Instagram copy as the only available one . While you may be happy to leave it up there, it's a lot more convenient to have another version of it downloaded onto your phone or computer. While downloading directly from Instagram can be tricky, there are ways around it. Here are a few easy ways to download Instagram photos.

Read more