After trying to block messages of support from Kenosha gunman Kyle Rittenhouse they were accused by Facebook executives of being ‘drunk in power’.
Rittenhouse was a right-wing vigilante who shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters in unrest following the August 2020 shooting of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse was 17 years old at the time. Some on the right saw him as a hero, insisting that he was there to stop rioting by BLM activists.
Facebook removed many pro Rittenhouse posts, claiming they were in violation its rules that prohibit violence promotion.
Facebook bans praise for mass shooters and mass shootings.
Kyle Rittenhouse, left was 17 when he killed two people in Kenosha on August 25, 2020. He was part of a vigilante team that claimed they were protecting property from arson and rioting
After Jacob Blake’s shooting, a protester can be seen walking by a burning building.
During clashes at the Kenosha County Courthouse, August 25, 2020, a protester throws an object towards police – the third night in rioting and the night Rittenhouse was shot
Rittenhouse was charged with murder. He will be seen Monday ahead of his trial which begins next week.
During an internal meeting, most employees endorsed the decision.
One said that Facebook leaders were taking a too extreme role in censoring peoples beliefs.
According to internal documents obtained by The New York Post, the staffer stated that the rioting had been ongoing for more than three months. It’s now an issue because people within the company saw violence they did not like.
“Employees have a monopoly on America’s civic affairs, and they don’t even need to go to the polling booth (if it’s even possible).
Facebook removed posts supporting Rittenhouse as per their policy for shootings
The employee was a Facebook data scientist and questioned whether Facebook was following the right approach to moderating posts supporting Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of shooting and was not legally permitted to carry the firearms used in it.
“Can we objectively and consistently distinguish between support (not allowed), and discussion of whether? [Rittenhouse]Is this being treated justly (allowed?)? The data scientist wrote.
Try reading his posts to see if you can distinguish between violating and non-violating content.
“I know our company is full smart, dedicated people who want to do right by others.
“But, I don’t think the current system that we are working in allows us to succeed, even though we have the talent, money and motivation that should help us on the right track.
Rittenhouse was charged with murder and will be tried next week.
A Facebook spokeswoman stated that Facebook has an “industry-leading” policy to address the’militarized movements.
Frances Haugen, whistleblower and author of the internal memo, has leaked a lot of information.
Frances Haugen, a whistleblower who appeared before legislators in the U.S.A and U.K. in recent weeks, has details about Facebook’s internal discussions.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO, is under severe pressure after a series of internal documents were leaked.
Facebook’s CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg angrily accused others of plotting against him Monday.
“My view is that what I am seeing is a coordinated effort by select individuals to selectively use leaked papers to paint a false image of our company,” the under-fire executive stated in a call to investors from Facebook.
The Wall Street Journal has published a series of exposes based on Haugen’s leaked files. They reveal that executives knew Instagram was addictive, harmful to young people, as well as that they prioritized profits over people.
Facebook has been accused in the past of not being able to crack down on hate speech and actively promoting divisive, harmful content to increase traffic.