In what has become a seemingly regular occurrence, Facebook is being asked: how on Earth did this happen?<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Facebook asked an unspecified number of users their thoughts on how child abuse images should be handled on the network.<\/p>\n
It gave a scenario in which an \u201cadult man” asks a 14-year-old girl for \u201csexual images\u201d, and then a list of possible answers.<\/p>\n
One option read: \u201cThis content should be allowed on Facebook, and I would not mind seeing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A follow-up question offered options on how policies should be enforced, such as \u201cFacebook decides the rules on its own\u201d or \u201cexternal experts decide the rules and tell Facebook\u201d.<\/p>\n
As noted by the Guardian, none of the options allowed the user to suggest that the proper course of action in this scenario would be to inform child protection agencies or call the police.<\/p>\n
“We run surveys to understand how the community thinks about how we set policies,\u201d said Guy Rosen, Facebook\u2019s head of product.<\/p>\n
“But this kind of activity is and will always be completely unacceptable on FB. We regularly work with authorities if identified. It shouldn’t have been part of this survey.<\/p>\n
“That was a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Data set<\/strong><\/p>\n The company is no longer running the survey.<\/p>\n The BBC understands Facebook\u2019s team was instructed to find out how users felt was best appropriate to deal with illegal content on the network. The site is not, of course, considering changing how it deals with child abuse imagery.<\/p>\n Over the network\u2019s head looms the prospect of more regulation.<\/p>\n By asking users if they feel more comfortable with Facebook determining the rules on how unacceptable content is handled could be an attempt to build data to back up its likely argument that it can regulate itself.<\/p>\n Another option, whereby experts advise the network, is also a possibility. In the past, Facebook has turned to outside experts when developing new technologies, particularly those aimed at younger users.<\/p>\n However, the site as criticised over its choice of experts – many of which it had funded,\u00a0as reported by Wired magazine.<\/p>\n Facebook has had a tough time dealing with negative publicity recently. At an event for US conservatives last month, in the wake of another school shooting, the company demonstrated a virtual reality shooting game set in a train station.<\/p>\n It later pulled the demonstration, saying it regretted its inclusion on its stand.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In what has become a seemingly regular occurrence, Facebook is being asked: how on Earth did this happen? On Sunday, Facebook asked an unspecified number of users their thoughts on how child abuse images should be handled on the network. It gave a scenario in which an \u201cadult man” asks a 14-year-old girl for \u201csexual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":235210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[106],"tags":[7592,339],"yoast_head":"\n