US man detained for three days for hoax suicide Facebook post designed to test the social network's safeguards

The post, however, was designed to put Facebook’s new suicide prevention tools through their paces, as he was concerned about the power it granted the website. After one user flagged the claim with the new tools, Tucsh’s Facebook account was locked and police turned up at his house a full 12 hours later.

The electrician was reportedly detained for three days in a psychiatric institution following the post - with doctors testing him for any signs of mental illness.

On Wednesday, in response to the media discovering his story, Tusch posted: “My problem with the [suicide prevention tool] is its very design… How many thousands of calls every day will actually help how many people? If Facebook want to be a social network then stick to that.

“If you made a cry for help (who would you expect to answer) Your family, a nearby friend? (Facebook's policy is to log you out) so much for that cry for help. This whole program is filled with setbacks flaws and legal issues.

“This was done to show the rest of the world how this program works and that Facebook has been warned about its involvement. The person that flagged my post, I had not seen in 30 years since high school."

He concluded: “Facebook needs to leave suicide prevention to family and friends, there are no checks and balances. I was only proving a point that Facebook should not be involved in this."

Following the incident, Consumer Watchdog issued a letter directly to Mark Zuckerberg that claimed it had “deep concerns about Facebook’s suicide prevention program” following the incident because of a post he made exercising his First Amendment rights”.

“This man’s case demonstrates the pitfalls of your ill-conceived program, which we ask that you discontinue until adequate safeguards are in place," said the watchdog.

“Facebook facilitated this man’s loss of freedom for 70 hours and other innocent victims will be caught in Facebook’s web if you do not improve the suicide prevention program’s procedures.”