GUEST BLOG: Bryan Bruce – Facebook needs a “report” button

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While it was good to read of Facebook’s banning white nationalist content from its platforms the company needs to be more proactive on ALL hate speech and vile content videos.

The live streaming of the Christchurch mosque massacre was deplorable and preventing any future transmissions of such incidentis is something the company needs to prioritise.

So what could Facebook do to contribute to a more decent world?

Well first of all the site’s creators need to get past the idea that everything has to happen NOW.

It doesn’t.

Your friends don’t instantly need to know what you are eating in a restaurant and if you are posting something more thoughtful then a delay of a couple of minutes while an algorithm checks it for hate words isn’t going to reduce the power of your message.

A report button on posts could trigger a review alert at Facebook HQ and the post gets blocked until it is reviewed.

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Malicious reporters – people who report posts just to make life hell for the reviewers – could simply be banned.

The idea works pretty well for my own page. People Personal Message me if someone is name calling . I check it and if I agree there is a problem I will either give a warning for a first time offence or simply ban the offender.

Likewise videos do not have to be instantly displayed. A delay of a minute or so while ,say, a weapon recognition algorithm checks it out would not be the end of the world.

To those who say this would limit free speech I say “Tough – think again” Freedom of speech has never meant a licence to abuse and spread hate overwise we would not have slander and defamation laws.

I’m sure there must be computer geniuses at Facebook who could solve these issues

The trouble is it’s a philosophical problem. Not a technical one. And sometimes good thinking takes a bit longer.

I hope they get there.

 

 

Bryan Bruce is one of NZs most respected documentary makers and public intellectuals who has tirelessly exposed NZs neoliberal economic settings as the main cause for social issues.