Facebook has provided many features for its users to enhance connectivity across the world. Among these features, the Facebook Live standouts as the most abused regarding crime perpetration because of its real time nature and its ability to reach millions of audience. Over the past few years, criminal activities such as murders, suicides, rapes and police killings among others have been recorded and posted on the Facebook Live for the users to see. Questions have been raised on whether Facebook has legal or ethical responsibility to rescue a crime victim. I strongly believe that Facebook does not have a legal responsibility to rescue a crime victim because as a social media site, it does not have the mandate to interfere with the freedom of expression of its users. Also, no law has been formulated that outlines the responsibility of social media in crime mitigation. However, with regards to ethical responsibility, Facebook can do a number of things to rescue a crime victim. On noticing any form of criminal activity posted on the social media platform, Facebook should immediately bring down the videos and further prohibit its sharing to enable the law enforcement agencies to carry out their investigative duties well. Facebook should also remain steadfast in reviewing the videos posted on its site and employing the use of artificial intelligence that will signal them of any alert in relation to the videos.
Social media platforms such as Facebook must remain proactive and thorough with their review of the types of contents that appear on their sites. First, social media platforms should have a team on call at all hours of the day and night who are there to respond to reports concerning content that may violate the community standards such as rape, pornography, crime, etc. In line with this, the social media sites should include provisions where they allow their users to report to them on sensitive videos that that range from those promoting violence to those using graphic imaging. This will help the sites to bring down the contents at a very fast rate. Social media sites should also employ the use of technology such as the photo-matching technique that will hinder the repeated sharing of pornographic content. With the use of such tactics, any attempt to that effect will be thwarted, and the users will be notified that the content violates the terms of service of the individual social media platform.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
To propose safeguards that Facebook and other social media platforms could use in preventing the broadcast of violence, first, the sites should develop computational systems that monitor social media posts to identify any possibility of a threat of violence. The systems can mine several hashtags, languages, emojis, and videos to get information especially in cities struggling with violence. The social media platforms should set up rules that regulate the posting of contents on their sites. As much as it is the freedom of the users’ to express themselves, legal action should be taken by these sites whenever content that breaches their terms and conditions is posted. Other penalties that could be taken by the sites on the users who go against rules could include probation for a certain period, suspension and even a complete expulsion and a subsequent deactivation of the account.
In any organization, the role of an ethics officer and oversight committee is to ensure their clients comply with ethical issues and also solves improprieties, allegations, conflicts of interest and complaints. Up to now, Facebook does not have an ethical officer or an oversight committee to provide corporate leadership in such issues. However, with the growing trend of unethical use of social media sites, it is essential that Facebook creates such positions in order to instill positive social connection on its site. The ethical officer together with the oversight committee would work together to help the executive officers think critically in difficult decisions. They can also play an important role in developing ethical guidelines for the organization including a code of ethics for the clients. The two positions could also provide a company-wide training on ethical issues including enlightening their users on the implications of sharing negative content on Facebook to the society. An oversight committee will replace the use of computers and algorithms which cannot make a sound decision with regards to content that pass through the social media sites. Therefore, the ethical officer and the oversight committee will be charged with the duty to filter content that is consumed to the general public by accepting or removing content based on their ethical implications to the society. Ethical officers can also be important in advising Facebook to comply with legal requirements pertaining to their role in ensuring free expression and safety of the general public. This will ensure Facebook and other social media sites work with transparency and accountability.
In terms of the changes Facebook should adopt to encourage ethical issues in their platform; first, it should create regulations that govern the spread and sharing of information. Facebook should create certain guidelines, procedures, and verifications that ensure their users share only thoughtful and ethically acceptable information from individual and outlets. According to Fischer and Mohrman (2016), the guidelines will enable users to understand that whenever they share content from other outlets, they are equally responsible for destroying the ethical expectations of the organization. However, it is important for Facebook to note that sharing information by users can give listeners and readers insight into the world’s news. The guidelines will ensure that users become transparent, accountable and evidence based in their consumption of information. In this regards, Facebook should also advise its users to proceed with caution, concerning breaking news and posted videos and the users should always reach out for reliable sources before sharing information.
Secondly, Facebook should create a social media team for consultation. The members of this team have a mandate in promoting ethical adherence through collecting information from various sources, determining the credibility of information being posted by users and also analyzing different materials used. The social media team will be there to authenticate what is true from what is false in regards to what has been posted on the social media platforms. It is also important for the social media teams to spell out how the information was verified and why they consider the information to be credible or not. Moreno et al . (2013) asserted that the team could also invite the users to assist in efforts that are meant to monitor and verify what is being posted on social media. The team should create easy access to their services through services such as email address and also they should react promptly to ensure effectiveness in their service delivery.
To conclude, Facebook and other social media sites have been lately abused by some users through posting material that promotes criminal activities, violence, and sexual content. As such, these sites have a moral duty to balance between free expression and safety of the users. Therefore, the sites should create the positions of ethical officers and oversight committees to ensure that strict regulations concerning the posting of contents are adhered to. Finally, certain changes should be adopted by the social media platforms to encourage ethical use and prevent the perpetuation of negativity.
References
Fischer, M., & Mohrman, K. (2016). “Black. Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology , (10”).Retrieved from:
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/cleveland-shooting-highlights-facebook-s-responsibility-policing-depraved-videos-n747306
Moreno, M. A., Goniu, N., Moreno, P. S., & Diekema, D. (2013). Ethics of social media research: common concerns and practical considerations. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking , 16 (9), 708-713.
