Facebook: Gathering Place for Sadists and Predators

by Roxann MtJoy · 2011-09-08 07:20:00 UTC
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With 750 million users worldwide, Facebook is the second-most popular internet site. While most of those people use the site to do things like reconnect with long lost high school friends, share interesting cat videos, and post dinner plans, others use the social networking site to promote hatred and violence against women. Despite being in clear violation of Facebook's own Statements of Rights and Responsibilities, the site currently hosts pages like "Riding your Girlfriend softly, cause you dont want to wake her up," "Punching Pregnant Women in the Stomach," and "Kicking sluts in the Vagina."

Change.org member John Raines was sickened by what he saw. "I have several family members who have been the victim of sexual abuse and even rape," Raines said,  "I have seen the physical and mental scars of sexual violence. Yet, Facebook continues to allow pages full of harassment, hate speech, threats of violence, the plotting and encouragement of sexual violence and even murder to go unchecked." Because these pages went against, not only his own moral code, but Facebook's own stated policies, Raines started a petition to remind Facebook of its obligation to remove these pages.

Indeed, it could not be clearer that these pages are in clear violation of Facebook's Terms of service. Prohibited content includes that which is “hateful, threatening,” or contains “graphic or gratuitous violence” (Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, Section 3, item 7). Moreover, users are specifically barred from posting content that aims to “bully, intimidate, or harass” any user.

Raines wants Facebook to start enforcing these rules. That includes immediately removing these sexually violent pages once they have been reported. He also wants the company to issue an official statement condemning these pages and then add specific language to the Statement of Rights and responsibilities that makes it clear that pages promoting any form of sexual violence will be banned.

"A friend once told me there is a big difference in free speech and hate speech," said Raines, "Hate speech is never free.  It comes at a heavy price for its victims." Sign the petition and demand that Facebook take a stronger stand in enforcing its own policies and stop promoting rape and rape culture.

Photo: Sean MacEntee

Roxann MtJoy is a freelance writer who previously worked as a case manager at a domestic violence shelter. She is currently attending graduate school for theater in Mount Vernon, N.Y.

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