“While I hope we never have to see another video like Diamond’s, it reminds us why coming together to build a more open and connected world is so important – and how far we still have to go”, Zuckerberg went on.
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The deadly shootings of police officers in Dallas last night were broadcast live on Facebook. The video was broadcasted by the victim’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, showing his blood-stained wounds moments before he was shot dead during a traffic stop in Minnesota suburb, US.
Reacting to the fatal shooting of a black man in Minnesota which went viral on social media after it was uploaded on Facebook Live, the social media giant’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his heart went out to the family.
Castile later died from his wounds.
According to Facebook’s Community Standards, what is and is not allowed on the social network, like pornography to violence to hate speech, applies to Live video, photos and other videos as well. The video was taken down by Facebook for an hour due to what it claimed was a “technical glitch”, then reappeared with an interstitial disclaimer warning users of its graphic content. Still, even the temporary take-down raised questions about Facebook’s role in the future of citizen journalism and censorship. Videos that contain graphic content can shock, offend, and upset. Are you sure you want to see this?’ While it might seem like graphic content could scare away some users or advertisers, it could also make Facebook a more popular place for consumption and discussion of current events. “We’re very sorry that the video was temporarily inaccessible”, the spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Reynolds’ almost 10-minute-long video of her interactions with the authorities gained national attention after Facebook users shared it on Wednesday night.
Sterling was killed during an altercation with two white police officers and a video of the incident recorded by a bystander on his smartphone triggered outcry on social media.
Facebook has a team monitoring flagged content 24/7; that team can choose to remove violent content, keep it up with a disclaimer attached or leave it up untouched.
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Users can report any content, including Live videos in progress, as offensive for one of a variety of reasons, including that it depicts violence.
