Facebook addresses ‘revenge porn’ issue with new technology
Brand and personal internet safety is a huge issue, and today Facebook steps to help curb personal content. In a safety blog post today, Antigone Davis, head of global safety, announced that the social media giant is implementing new tools to help people “when intimate images are shared on Facebook without their permission.”
Facebook is implementing steps and technology to address revenge porn issue
The post went on to say that the content, often known as ‘revenge porn’, is reported, the company can now prevent it from being shared on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. It also cited a study by the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative that said that of US victims of non-consensual intimate images, 93% reported significant emotional distress and 82% reported significant impairment in social, occupational or other areas of their lives.
David then described how the technology will work: "If someone sees an intimate image on Facebook that looks like it was shared without permission, they can report it using the “Report” link that appears when they tap the downward arrow or “…” next to a post.
"Specially trained representatives from Facebook’s Community Operations team review the image to see if it violates standards, then will most likely disable the offending account.
"The company then uses photo-matching technologies to help prevent further attempts to share the image."
It stated that Facebook also partners with safety organizations to offer support and resources to the victims.
Facebook developed the tools in partnership with safety experts, which came after meeting with 150 safety organizations worldwide last year to get feedback on ways to improve.
“Facebook is in a unique position to prevent harm, one of our five areas of focus as we help build a global community,” wrote Davis. “We worked with the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and other companies to create a one-stop destination for victims and others to report this content to the major technology companies. We also launched a guide specific to Facebook. Additionally, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Center for Social Research, the Revenge Porn Helpline (UK) and the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative provided input and feedback throughout the product-development process.”
The company will continue to work on the issue moving forward.