Tech

Facebook ‘doesn’t want to censor’ suicide livestreams: report

Next time you head to Facebook, feel free to say, “Let’s beat up fat kids,” but please refrain from saying, “Let’s shoot the president,” according to a newly leaked copy of the social network’s censorship standards.

The secret rules guiding the 2 billion-member social media site’s content address how users are allowed to talk about topics from violence to self-harm to animal cruelty, The Guardian newspaper reported.

The company’s “Credible Violence” manual helps employees decide when a statement is too violent and should be deleted.

Facebook would like to “allow as much speech as possible” but also needs to take action when something “could credibly cause harm” in real life, according to the documents.

For instance, the manual explains that the phrase “Someone shoot Trump” should be deleted by the company because it specifically targets a head of state.

But suggestions such as “Let’s beat up fat kids” or “We should put all foreigners in gas chambers” are permitted because they are not targeting a specific individual.

In respect to violent videos, the company draws a line at content in which users express “sadism” — meaning they show explicit pleasure at pain being inflicted on others, the documents show.

Some examples of how someone might express sadism are “I love seeing animals suffer” or “I’ll save that for my wank bank.”

The site also prohibits expressions such as “F–k yeah” or “This is amazing” in reference to a violent act.

When it comes to the issue of self-harm, Facebook has decided to allow users to stream videos of themselves possibly committing suicide because the company “doesn’t want to censor or punish people in distress who are attempting suicide.”

If someone were to commit suicide on a livestream, Facebook will remove the video “once there’s no longer an opportunity to help the person.”

Another subject deemed not appropriate by Facebook is revenge porn, described as “nude” or “semi-nude” images in a private setting.