A BBC investigation
has revealed that Facebook users are continuing to exchange sexualized
images of children through online groups, and the social network has
come under criticism for failing to remove the obscene content. Of the
100 images that the BBC reported, Facebook removed only 18, saying that
the remaining 82 did not violate its community standards. After the news
organization alerted Facebook to the content, the company reported the
journalists to police and cancelled an interview scheduled for last
week, the BBC reports.
Facebook said it would improve its moderation systems after a 2016 BBC investigation
showed that pedophiles were exchanging child pornography through secret
groups. The BBC followed up by flagging 100 images using Facebook’s
“report” button. The images included photos of minors in sexualized
poses, groups where users posted stolen photos of children, and pages
that were created for men interested in such content. Another image
showed a comment asking for child pornography under a video of child
abuse.
According to the BBC, Facebook agreed to an interview
about the matter last week, on the condition that the news outlet
provide examples of content that was reported and not taken down. After
the BBC provided the material, Facebook reported the journalists to the
UK's National Crime Agency.
Facebook later provided a statement to the BBC, saying
that it has “now removed all items that were illegal or against our
standards,” and that it is working “to improve our reporting and
take-down measures.”
"When the BBC sent us such images we followed our
industry's standard practice and reported them to CEOP,” the company
added, referring to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.
David Jordan, the BBC’s director of editorial policy,
described Facebook’s decision as “extraordinary,” saying: “One can only
assume that the Facebook executives were unwilling or certainly
reluctant to engage in an interview or a debate about why these images
are available on the Facebook site.”
Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other tech companies have begun incorporating so-called “hashing” technology to expedite the removal
of child pornography and images of child exploitation. The technology
applies a unique fingerprint to images that have been flagged, and
prevents subsequent copies from being uploaded. Facebook also prohibits convicted sex offenders from creating accounts.
The BBC’s latest investigation has renewed criticism over
Facebook’s content moderation policy, which has long been a point of
contention among both free speech activists and public safety groups.
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