Facebook will now count activists and journalists as “involuntary” public figures then increase protections against harassment and bullying targeted at these groups, its global safety chief said in an interview in the week.
The social media company, which allows more critical commentary of public figures than of personal individuals, says it’s changing its approach on the harassment of journalists and “human rights defenders”, who it says are within the prominence thanks to their work instead of their public personas.
Facebook is under wide-ranging scrutiny from global lawmakers and regulators over its content moderation practices and harms linked to its platforms, with internal documents leaked by a forming the premise for a U.S. Senate hearing last week.
How Facebook, which has about 2.8 billion monthly active users, treats public figures and content posted by or about those figures has been a vicinity of intense debate. In recent weeks, the company’s “cross check” system, which the Wall Street Journal reported has the effect of exempting some high-profile users from usual Facebook rules, has been within the spotlight.
Facebook also differentiates between public figures and personal individuals within the protections it affords around online discussion: as an example, users are generally allowed to concern the death of a star in discussions on the platform.
The company declined to share a listing of other involuntary public figures but said they’re assessed on a case-by-case basis. Earlier this year, Facebook said it’d remove content celebrating, praising or mocking George Floyd’s death, because he was deemed an involuntary important person.
Facebook’s Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis said the corporate was also expanding the kinds of attacks that it might not allow on public figures on its sites, as a part of a trial to cut back attacks disproportionately faced by women, people of color and also the LGBTQ community.
Facebook will now not allow severe and unwanted sexualizing content, derogatory sexualized photoshopped images or drawings or direct negative attacks on an individual’s appearance, as an example, in comments on a public figure’s profile.
