New Facebook Community Standards
Miriam Schulman
Facebook updated its community standards today, giving users new guidance on how it will handle nudity, bullying, and violence. Center Executive Director Kirk Hanson discusses the implications on his blog, Business Ethics in the News.
In a post entitled Facebook is Actually in the Ethics Business, Hanson argues:
Facebook recognized some users would use the platform inappropriately. Early rules included banning pornography, a relatively easy decision. But there are postings that depict and encourage breast feeding and concern for breast cancer. Are they to be permitted? Postings by terrorist groups are banned, as are supportive statements for groups involved in “violent, criminal or hateful behavior.” Defining such statements involves prudential, indeed ethical decisions.
Does Facebook's refinement of its rules point to a maturation in the Internet industry? Are more ethical considerations making their way into the Wild West of the Internet?