Facebook ramps up efforts to curb 'hateful content' in ads
Published Jun 27, 2020 01:31 am
By Agence France-Presse
Facebook said Friday it would ban a "wider category of hateful content" in ads as the embattled social media giant moved to respond to widening protests over its handling of inflammatory posts.
(REUTERS / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook also would add tags to posts that are "newsworthy" but violate platform rules -- following the lead of Twitter, which has used such labels on tweets from President Donald Trump.
The initiative comes with the leading social network facing a growing boycott by advertisers -- with Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever and Japanese auto giant Honda joining Friday -- as activists seek tougher action on content which critics say promotes discrimination, hatred or violence.
The new policy on hateful content in ads will "prohibit claims that people from a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status are a threat to the physical safety, health or survival of others," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page.
"We're also expanding our policies to better protect immigrants, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from ads suggesting these groups are inferior or expressing contempt, dismissal or disgust directed at them."
Facebook has underscored its moves to stem racism and discrimination in the wake of civil unrest triggered by the May 25 death of African American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
"We invest billions of dollars each year to keep our community safe and continuously work with outside experts to review and update our policies," a spokesperson said.
"The investments we have made in (artificial intelligence) mean that we find nearly 90 percent of hate speech" and take action before users report it.
(REUTERS / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook also would add tags to posts that are "newsworthy" but violate platform rules -- following the lead of Twitter, which has used such labels on tweets from President Donald Trump.
The initiative comes with the leading social network facing a growing boycott by advertisers -- with Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever and Japanese auto giant Honda joining Friday -- as activists seek tougher action on content which critics say promotes discrimination, hatred or violence.
The new policy on hateful content in ads will "prohibit claims that people from a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status are a threat to the physical safety, health or survival of others," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page.
"We're also expanding our policies to better protect immigrants, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from ads suggesting these groups are inferior or expressing contempt, dismissal or disgust directed at them."
Facebook has underscored its moves to stem racism and discrimination in the wake of civil unrest triggered by the May 25 death of African American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
"We invest billions of dollars each year to keep our community safe and continuously work with outside experts to review and update our policies," a spokesperson said.
"The investments we have made in (artificial intelligence) mean that we find nearly 90 percent of hate speech" and take action before users report it.