Human rights organizations want clarification about Facebook removal policy

More than 70 human rights organizations have written an open letter to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. They want clarity about Facebook’s policy on removing content, because they are afraid of censorship.

The letter in question was signed by a total of 73 human rights organizations and has now also been put online. This mainly concerns American organisations. In the letter, they say they are concerned about how Facebook handles ‘documenting human rights’. The social networking site would censor things such as iconic photos, expressions by Palestinian journalists, and the posting of content by black activists, the letter said.

That is why the organizations are asking Facebook to be more open in the decision-making process regarding the removal of content. Users should also be able to appeal decisions, and this appeal should be handled publicly. Finally, the organizations want Facebook to refuse to hand over user data to third parties, unless required by law.

According to Reuters, Facebook has already promised to remove less content. The company said in a response Monday that new rules will be introduced that determine what is and is not allowed. This should provide more space for expressions, although it is not yet known exactly how the social networking site will formulate its guidelines. It is clear, however, that this mainly concerns matters that are considered newsworthy or important to the public.

Facebook has been under fire for some time for its content removal policy. However, the policy recently came under scrutiny after Facebook removed an iconic Vietnam War photo for showing a naked girl.