A senior Facebook adviser told a British MP that a status calling him a “fat murderous cunt” did not breach the company's community standards because the social network wanted to “allow discourse” between the public and politicians.
The personalised explanation was sent to Stephen Doughty — the Labour MP for the Wales constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth — after he'd complained about an abusive Facebook status alerted to him by a constituent.
If you wonder why @facebook @twitter etc are increasingly becoming difficult places (as @wesstreeting has pointed out) here’s another example of abuse we get + the response of the social media companies - who think we deserve a different threshold of abuse “to allow discourse”. https://t.co/b5p4XfDRki
In the note — later posted on Facebook and Twitter — the Facebook UK adviser explained to Doughty that he'd spoken to Facebook's “content policy team” about the “fat murderous cunt” line. He said Facebook found the abuse didn't breach the company's rules.
“Their view is that this does not violate our policies,” it read. “The type of activity you are seeing would, broadly speaking, qualify as bullying behaviour.
“However we do not apply our bullying policies to public figures because we want to allow discourse, which often includes critical discussion of people who are featured in the news or who have a large public audience.
“However, discussion of public figures must comply with other aspects of our Community Standards, and we will remove content about public figures that violates other policies, so including for example where it has strayed into hate speech or credible threats.”
The explanation comes after it was revealed Facebook wouldn't act on threatening abuse directed at a woman Muslim MP in Australia. Mehreen Faruqi had reported a Facebook comment which read: “Someone might do us a favour one day and put a bullet in your head.” Facebook told her it didn't breach the platform's rules because it was a “non-credible conditional” statement.
Doughty — who also sits on the Commons home affairs committee and has clashed with the tech giants over issues with abuse and extremist content — told BuzzFeed News Facebook effectively has a “double standard” when it comes to abuse on the platform.
“They’re being irresponsible and I told them it was completely unacceptable,” Doughty said. “They're endorsing a different standard of abuse for public figures.”
What part of this abusive tweet is acceptable @facebook @Twitter ? Your response in this case is totally unacceptable. https://t.co/xzFlUKUF35
“I’ve found, speaking to my colleagues, that the threshold has just become higher and higher in recent years, and people are no longer reporting it. Women in particular get the worst stuff, and the minute you’re Jewish or gay or Muslim, you’re guaranteed to get more poisonous abuse.
“It's getting worse.”
I’m not sure normal ‘discourse’ includes the C word. Certainly in face-to-face debate, that would be end of discussion. When will social media companies accept that same rules of engagement should apply online? https://t.co/6dHoK364UR
BuzzFeed News has sent questions to Facebook for comment.
Facebook's explanation to the Labour MP about different rules for the public and public figures comes as the UK government also considers new legislation which could make abusing politicians on social media a crime. Back in February, prime minister Theresa May delivered a speech which flagged the need for new laws against online bullying and abuse being directed at politicians.
Doughty said Facebook has been unwilling to listen to MPs who are ringing the alarm on the abuse they receive: “I don't mind if someone hits me because of my political views or my policy ... but ‘fat murderous cunt’?
“[Facebook] doesn't seem to get it. That more extreme abuse grows out of the sewer.”