Keeping closer tabs on disturbing posts
Facebook to boost reviews to weed out violence, hate
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday the tech firm will add 3,000 workers over the next year to review posts more quickly that run afoul of the social network’s rules on violence, hate speech and child exploitation.
The new employees will be part of the tech firm’s community operations team, which is currently made up of 4,500 employees.
With 1.9 billion users, the social media platform has been grappling with suicides, crime and other violence streamed live or posted later in videos.
Last week, a man in Thailand streamed the killing of his 11-month-old daughter on Facebook Live before taking his own life. That same week, James Jeffrey of Alabama, who was in the middle of a breakup with his girlfriend, shot himself in the head with a rifle on Facebook Live.
“Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen people hurting themselves and others on Facebook — either live or in video posted later. It’s heartbreaking, and I’ve been reflecting on how we can do better for our community,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.
Facebook is working on ways to make videos easier to report, he said, along with adding more workers and talking to community groups and law enforcement.
The firm received a report last week that someone on Facebook Live was considering suicide. It contacted police, who intervened.
But in other cases, it’s taken Facebook hours to remove a live video that included violence.
In April, Facebook said it was reviewing how users report videos after Steve Stephens of Ohio posted a video of him fatally shooting Robert Godwin Sr. The shooter then confessed to the crime on live video and took his own life after a brief police chase.
It took more than two hours for Facebook to disable Stephens’ social media account, but it also took a while before the videos were reported.
In March, the tech firm released new tools allowing users to report a video in which someone is live-streaming a suicide attempt or self-injury. Users can reach out to the person directly, and Facebook says the person streaming the video will see options to contact a help line, reach out to a friend or view tips.
OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, WE’VE SEEN PEOPLE HURTING THEMSELVES AND OTHERS ON FACEBOOK ... IT’S HEARTBREAKING, AND I’VE BEEN REFLECTING ON HOW WE CAN DO BETTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY. MARK ZUCKERBERG FACEBOOK CEO