Free Speech & Peace

Facebook’s Live Streaming Policy Isn’t About Censorship

July 12, 2016

After Facebook Live was used to publicly stream the aftermath of the shooting of Philando Castile, Facebook commented on what type of content their community standards allow.

Rachel Ranosa reports in Tech Times that a Facebook spokesperson indicated that while the video of the shooting was marked with a warning, it did not violate any standards.

However, Facebook does reserve the right to remove any live videos that are not in line with its community guidelines. This would have been the case, the spokesperson noted, if the video of the shooting had been used to mock the victim instead of raise awareness.

While Facebook ultimately controls what appears on its livestream, it sees its control as a way to protect the community, not to censor it. The increasing ease with which users can capture and share even the most distressing and heartbreaking events spurs important discussions about the role of free speech in the 21st century.