Facebook vows to remove violent threats after Charlottesville

PanARMENIAN.Net – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg broke his silence on Wednesday, August 16 , regarding the violent attacks in Charlottesville, VA this past weekend and the ongoing conversation around hosting hate groups online. In a message posted on Facebook, Zuckerberg said the company is “watching the situation closely and will take down threats of physical harm,” noting that more neo-Nazi and white supremacist rallies are planned. “We won’t always be perfect, but you have my commitment that we’ll keep working to make Facebook a place where everyone can feel safe,” Zuckerberg wrote. Later on, in a more strongly worded tone, Zuckerberg said, “It’s a disgrace that we still need to say that neo-Nazis and white supremacists are wrong — as if this is somehow not obvious,” The Verge says.

Facebook has always had policies against hate speech and violent threats, but it has sometimes been slow to remove posts that include them. This latest pledge indicates the company is taking criticisms about how quickly it responds to reports of hate speech and threats of violence more seriously. Zuckerberg’s message, which came four days after the “Unite the Right” that rally left counter-protestor Heather Heyes dead and many others injured, arrived later than some other prominent chief executives. The rallies drew more calls for unity from the corporate world after a series of perplexing remarks blaming “both sides” from President Trump, in a move that ultimately emboldened white supremacists.