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Facebook Reports BBC To Police Following Publication's 'Sexualized Images' Investigation (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the what-in-the-world dept.

"Grave doubts" have emerged about the effectiveness of Facebook's moderation system after an investigation by the BBC last year revealed the social network was failing to remove sexualised images of children even after they were reported. Damian Collins, chair of the culture, media and sport committee, made the comments as he criticised Facebook's handling of the images, dozens of which were reported to the company by the BBC and fewer than 20% were removed. After the BBC sent evidence of the photos to Facebook, the social media company reported the BBC to the police for distributing the images, which had been shared on private Facebook groups intended for paedophiles. From a report on BBC: When provided with examples of the images, Facebook reported the BBC journalists involved to the police and cancelled plans for an interview. It subsequently issued a statement: "It is against the law for anyone to distribute images of child exploitation." Mr Collins said it was extraordinary that the BBC had been reported to the authorities when it was trying to "help clean up the network." [...] Information the BBC provided to the police led to one man being sent to prison for four years.

5 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. What is Facebook thinking? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    BBC tells FB that there are inappropriate child images on FB and FB turns around and reports the BBC to the police that BBC is distributing these images?

    I take it FB is unfamiliar with the Streisand effect.

    1. Re:What is Facebook thinking? by Mostly+a+lurker · · Score: 5, Informative

      It is even worse than the summary suggested. The BBC did not originally send the evidence to FB. They did so when FB asked them to ahead of an interview arranged with FB's director of policy Simon Milner. Reporting them to the police for providing what they were requested to beggars belief.

  2. Re:Report them! by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fortunately, the both the BBC and the Facebook employee concerned, CEOP was then legally obliged to report itself to itself, resulting in an infinite loop...

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  3. Re:Should have sent links, to the authorities not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Because Facebook said that before they'd grant an interview, they wanted some examples of the material they'd failed to remove.

  4. code words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sexualized Images is popo codeword for teen selfie in a bikini, or in lacey panties with butt facing the camera... probably with duckface. If it was real porn or nudity they would use different phrasing. Sexualized Images simply means normal pics with 'sexual' connotation, something all teens love to do.