LEG 500 Week 4 Assignment 1 Facebook Live Killings

Facebook Live Killings

Assignment 1

Leg500: Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance

NAME

Strayer University

Facebook Live Killings

This purpose of this assignment is to discuss whether or not I believe that Facebook has a legal or ethical duty to rescue a crime victim. I will make suggestions and elaborate on three (3) ways that social media platforms can be more proactive and thorough with their review of the types of content that appear on their sites. There is a proposal of two (2) safeguards that Facebook and other social media platforms should put into place to prevent acts of violence from being broadcasted. Conducted research will determine whether or not Facebook has an Ethics Officer or Oversight Committee. The key functions of these positions will be discussed if these positions exist. If the positions do not exist there will be debate on whether or not they should create these roles. Proposals of two (2) changes Facebook should adopt to encourage ethical use of their platform. Suggestions of proposals for changes Facebook should adopt to encourage use of their platform are offered.

Legal or Ethical Duty to Rescue a Crime Victim

Facebook is not legally responsible to rescue a crime victim. There is an ethical duty to report a crime. The community standards of Facebook include keeping the subscribers safe. The organization does not condone any type of disruptive behaviors. Facebook works with law enforcement when there is evidence of physical harm or threats to the safety of society. Facebook demonstrates their ethical and moral community standards by assisting in monitoring and controlling the outcome of life threatening situations. Facebook believes in helping everyone by encouraging their subscribers to report any information they have viewed on Facebook live which can be classified as life threatening. Facebook is a huge participant in social media. They know the Facebook family has a purpose to help others in becoming more productive and contribute to leading others to accomplish greater levels of prosperity. Facebook does not encourage the promotion of self-injury and suicide. There is collaboration with various organizations to support the Facebook community when counseling is needed during stressful circumstances that occur in life. Good Samaritan laws fall into the category of volunteer protection laws. The organization also bans information and the communication of encouragement and promotion of self-mutilation and eating disorders. When there are posts that reveal a person’s identity affected by such issues Facebook will remove the comments(“Community standards | Facebook”, 2017).

Three Ways Social Media Platforms Can Be More Proactive and Thorough With Their Review of Content

Facebook can be proactive and thorough with their review of the types of content that appears on their sites by abiding to a code of conduct. Facebook provides high security to protect its users and their data while using their site. There is secure browsing. Encryption of messages and posts are implemented to prevent other users’ access unless they have permission. Facebook sets a priority in eliminating spam, the contacting people with undesired data. There are steps to secure the Facebook account. Suggestions are made such as changing the current password, contacting a the help center if the account has been hacked, and sending out alerts to inform when someone is attempting to log in from an unrecognizable device or web browser. The alerts provide information on the device being used to attempt logging in as well as

location. Proactively, the policies of Facebook advises users of things not allowed which include nudity or sexually suggestive content, hate speech, credible threats or attacks on individuals or groups, content of excessive violence, and deceptive profiles (“Community standards | Facebook”, 2017).Facebook must provide publicly their Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This includes information of their service terms for the users of the site. Updates are provided to users of the site to notify them of changes to the policies and guidelines on the Site Governance Page. Violation of the Statement of Rights will possibly lead to the deletion of part or all access to Facebook (“Terms of Service”, 2017).

Safeguards Social Media Platforms Should Use

to Prevent Broadcasting of Acts of Violence

Safeguards that Facebook and other social media platforms should put into place to prevent acts of violence from being broadcasted should consider continual monitoring of the data posted. This can be done through the implementation of software to detect and deletion of activities associated to violence. The government censorship should be enforced to prevent access to violence (“It’s About Human Rights: Social Media Platforms Must Safeguard Citizen-Generated Content”, 2017). Removal of graphic images shared to promote violence should be included in the monitoring process (“Community standards | Facebook”, 2017).

Ethics Officer or Oversight Committee

Through research there is an Oversight Committee for Facebook. This committee represents the interest of the Facebook community and provides the ethic laws and rules of regulation of the company. The purpose of the Oversight Committee is to enforce the ethic laws and guidelines of the Community Standards. The committee investigates complaints and violations and offers constructive criticism in resolving issues through ethics training. The Oversight Committee has the power to administer penalties when the rules of regulation and community standards are abused (“Ethics and Oversight | Commissions and Committees”, 2017).

Through research Facebook does not have an Ethics Officer. There has been an increase in the trending of bogus news on Facebook. Facebook has asked for assistance, according to the Poynter Institute’s International Fact Checking Network, in filtering fraudulent information. Facebook should hire an Ethics Officer to help the Oversight Committee with decision making. Facebook’s trending section was previously managed by individuals but they were replaced by algorithms due to political controversy. The use of algorithms does not have the qualities of making ethical decisions as an individual. Hiring a Chief Ethics Officer would help in the management of the Oversight Committee in decision making. Filling this position would demonstrate the value they have for the Facebook community in being ethically responsible (Heider, 2017).

Changes Facebook Should Adopt to Encourage

Ethical Use of Platforms

There should be more concentration on the use of hate speech. These attacks are directed towards individuals because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, disabilities or diseases. Careful monitoring should be practiced to eliminate this form of abusive communication. Facebook removes abusive comments when detected. There should be sanctions issued against individuals to the fullest extent of the law. The policy of using authentic identity should be strictly enforced for the safety of the users of Facebook. There is a large amount of identity theft at present. Use of authentic identity is essential in the elimination of deceptive practices such as cat fishing and hacking accounts. Facebook should monitor whether the proper procedure is being used when one individual uses multiple profiles and continue to remove profiles that are not genuine. Facebook should provide extensive instruction for users to clarify when it is more appropriate to create a page instead of a profile. When there is a violation the individual should be fined and reprimanded due to fraudulent intentions (“Community standards | Facebook”, 2017).

Conclusion

Facebook is not legally responsible to rescue a crime victim. There is an ethical duty to report a crime.Facebook works with law enforcement when there is evidence of physical harm or threats to the safety of society. Facebook demonstrates their ethical and moral community standards by assisting in monitoring and controlling the outcome of life threatening situations (“Community standards | Facebook”, 2017).

Facebook can be proactive and thorough with their review of the types of content that appears on their sites by abiding to a code of conduct. Facebook provides high security to protect its users and their data while using their site. There is secure browsing. Encryption of messages and posts are implemented to prevent other users’ access unless they have permission. Facebook sets a priority in eliminating spam, the contacting people with undesired data.Facebook must provide publicly their Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This includes information of their service terms for the users of the site (“Terms of Service”, 2017).

Safeguards that Facebook and other social media platforms should put into place to prevent acts of violence from being broadcasted should consider continual monitoring of the data posted.The government censorship should be enforced to prevent access to violence (“It’s About Human Rights: Social Media Platforms Must Safeguard Citizen-Generated Content”, 2017).

Facebook should hire an Ethics Officer to help the Oversight Committee with decision making.Through research Facebook does not have an Ethics Officer. There has been an increase in the trending of bogus news on Facebook. Hiring a Chief Ethics Officer would help in the management of the Oversight Committee in decision making. Filling this position would demonstrate the value they have for the Facebook community in being ethically responsible (Heider, 2017).The purpose of the Oversight Committee is to enforce the ethic laws and guidelines of the Community Standards. The committee investigates complaints and violations and offers constructive criticism in resolving issues through ethics training. The Oversight Committee has the power to administer penalties when the rules of regulation and community standards are abused (“Ethics and Oversight | Commissions and Committees”, 2017).

There should be more concentration on the use of hate speech.There should be sanctions issued against individuals to the fullest extent of the law. The policy of using authentic identity should be strictly enforced for the safety of the users of Facebook. Use of authentic identity is essential in the elimination of deceptive practices such as cat fishing and hacking accounts.When there is a violation the individual should be fined and reprimanded due to fraudulent intentions (“Community standards | Facebook”, 2017).

Reference

Community standards | Facebook. (2017). Facebook.com. Retrieved 30 July 2017, from https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards#self-injuryhttps://www.facebook.com/communitystandards#self-injury

Ethics and Oversight | Commissions and Committees. (2017). Ncsl.org. Retrieved 30 July 2017, from http://www.ncsl.org/research/ethics/oversight-ethics-commissions-and-committees.aspx

Heider, D. (2017). Why Facebook should hire a chief ethicist: Column. USA TODAY. Retrieved 30 July 2017, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/01/08/facebook-ethics-fake-news-social-media-column/96212172/

It’s About Human Rights: Social Media Platforms Must Safeguard Citizen-Generated Content. (2017). HuffPost. Retrieved 30 July 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/esraaa-al-shafei-/its-about-human-rights-so_b_9300036.html

Retrieved 30 July 2017, from http://www.ncsl.org/research/ethics/oversight-ethics-commissions-and-committees.aspx

Terms of Service (2017). Facebook.com. Retrieved 30 July 2017,