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Facebook rolls out regulations to protect public figures against harassment

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Social media giant Facebook just announced new policies to protect journalists, activists, and celebs against harassment.
Facebook rolls out regulations to protect public figures against harassment
File photo: Facebook

Facebook expanded its range of banned "attacks" on public figures

On October 13, the company has received severe backlashes due to a Senate panel hearing. Facebook is facing a crisis over its platform's possible harms as a whistleblower divulged research studies. 

In these studies, the results imply that the social media giant is aware of its damage to youth's mental health. A former employee named Frances Haugen allegedly reported that Facebook puts revenue first before the welfare of its users.

According to Facebook's Head of Safety  Antigone Davis announced that they do not tolerate online bullies on their platform as they introduce new rules. He said,

We do not allow bullying and harassment on our platform, but when it does happen, we act.

Under the more detailed harassment policy, Facebook will ban content that degrades or sexualizes public figures, including celebrities, elected officials, and others in the public eye. Davis said, "attacks like these can weaponize a public figure's appearance." 

The company already has policies that prohibit similar content about private individuals.

In addition to this, the platform included journalists and human rights defenders to the list of people considered public figures because of their work. 

Lastly, the company announced that it will ban all coordinated harassment, in which a group of individuals works together to bully another user. That change will apply to all users.

Antigone Davis explained that they will also begin eradicating state-linked and "adversarial networks" of accounts at the social network that "work together to harass or silence people". 

Meanwhile, Haugen insists that the new policies should address the crisis. She added that it fuels division and harms young users.
  
In her testimony, Haugen noted the risks that the social media giant's platforms are fueling political division and self-dissatisfaction that is particularly dangerous for young people. 
  
What do you think of these new regulations?

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