Full FeedIs Facebook violating their own TOS with Holocaust-denial groups?
It is illegal in thirteen countries. The United States is not one of them. Holocaust denial is actually against the law in thirteen countries, and is said to represent a form of hatred and hate speech in general, that is simply not tolerated. But don’t worry all you haters, you are apparently just fine on Facebook.
While a big part of any social networking site is talking and building communities with like minded people, what happens when the line is crossed and those communities become offensive to others? Of course at that point we have people jumping in and yelling “Free Speech! I have my rights!” but is that really what our Amendment rights were put there for? To promote hate? Also, freedom of speech aside, what about that simple fact that they are breaking Terms of Service of these social networking sites? And it is being allowed to happen?
Attorney Brian Cuban is trying to do something about this. This Dallas,Texas attorney is facing off with Facebook, confronting them on the issue that groups like this should not be allowed to continue, and are breaking Facebook’s own Terms of Service. Terms that apparently Facebook picks and chooses when to enforce and when to turn the other way.
Take for instance the issue of if you are a breastfeeding mother. Don’t even think of having a shot up on your page showing you nursing your baby. That is so clearly against Facebook’s TOS, because this is apparently very offensive to some. This is a rule that is enforced, and photos just like this have been removed from the site.
Now, on the other hand, a photo of children in a concentration camp is clearly not offensive, nor breaking Facebook’s guidelines for “pornography” since there are naked children, is by all means okay to be posted? So very logical. Women cannot post nursing photos since the idea of nursing offends some. But these hate groups I’m sure offend no one. Of course. No random ridiculous picking and choosing going on there. They sound a little like Apple.
Facebook’s response is that they want to “be a place where people can discuss all kinds of ideas, including controversial ones.” Okay, except that the way this is being done is in direct violation of their own TOS, particularly section 3.
“Nigger faggot, Jew nosed cunt.” There is a gem of of an idea being discussed as one person addressed another in the one Facebook Holocaust-denial room. Or maybe this one, “Jews are snakes and they are liars, and they are the biggest disease this planet has ever endured.” Most definitely no hate speech going on there that would violate Facebook TOS. This is an intellectual debates of history going on….not a spewing of hate. Right. Oh for Pete’s sake, what in the world is Facebook thinking? As many others have pointed out, in a private business, freedom of speech does not apply.
Cuban elaborates this point by saying how in the past, Facebook has removed different groups based on different complaints. But now, he says, they are “setting the subjective standard on what they remove and what they don’t.” He goes on to say that “This isn’t a freedom-of-speech issue. Facebook is free to set the standard that they wish.” And apparently they don’t wish to make a stand against this hatred and prejudice. Violation or not.
Yes, here in the States, you have the right to protected speech. And unfortunately people who feel the need to mis-use that freedom by spewing forth hatred and lies are protected as well. However, web sites do not have to give them carte blanche to spread it. Especially when it is in clear violation to Terms of Service that they say they mandate. US representative Deborah Lauter of the International Network Against Cyberhate says that “Our position is that if you are going to be providing it, then you have to step up and put in the mechanism for policing it.”
Stop being such wussies, Facebook. Breastfeeding a baby is offensive and this kind of crap isn’t? Please. I think you need to grow some and practice what you preach.
via: techcrunch
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For starters, I really cant understand how some people deny that the holocaust happened. Second, kudos on your opinion, Jodie, as I totally can relate to it. Facebook really does need to ‘grow some’ and get this kind of material off of its site.
on May 11, 2009 at 02:54 PM - LINKI agree, people don’t have the same rights on social websites like Facebook. Facebook needs to take control of the issue and take off all hate groups.
on May 13, 2009 at 09:38 AM - LINKThe US entered the war because of Japan, we did not go to Europe looking for the Holocaust, therefore its a European problem when it came to Holocaust deniers and that’s why its illegal in many countries there, it happened there!.
on June 13, 2009 at 04:42 AM - LINKIn the US most people have to decide on the press and accounts of people being found in camps of its real not real issue. But when looking at all the people Japan and Russia killed and no one is calling these a Holocaust what makes it correct to call the Jewish account Holocaust and honor it while at the same time the Chinese people and the Russians non Jewish in camps killed in perhaps more cruel ways as just war victims. So in countries like the US it is legal to deny the Holocaust and I would say for reason I mentioned.