Facebook Allows Anti-Holocaust Groups

facebook

Social networking site Facebook is used by hundreds of millions of people all over the world to share pictures, connect with friends and join groups based on interests and passions. It’s one of the most popular sites on the net today. However, Facebook has been put on the spot this week regarding the existence of Holocaust denial groups on the service. These users have used the Facebook site to create groups which support the idea that the Holocaust never happened, often citing that the Holocaust was a hoax perpetrated by a Jewish conspiracy.

Obviously, it’s all rubbish and the Holocaust did happen. It’s also not the fault of Facebook that these groups exist as the site didn’t create them itself, it simply provided it’s users with the ability to create them. However, Dallas Attorney Brian Cuban has been criticising the site for allowing the continued existence and ignoring the pleas of a large number of users who are obviously upset about the content. In several countries including Germany, Holocaust Denial is a crime punishable by law and as Facebook allows users from these countries, many believe that the site should be doing more to shut down these groups.

Facebook have stated that they only take down groups that are likely to incite violence towards others and that the existing groups are not trying to do this. The site has stated that it has to walk a fine line between censorship and tolerance. Is it really up to Facebook to censor these people? Although Holocaust Denial is stupid and ignorant and offensive to some, there are plenty of things on Facebook which could be classed as offensive and ignorant to any number of people.

Facebook is representative of its users. It has millions and millions of members so it’s likely that among all the normal, law abiding and accepting people registered there are going to be also be a large group of racist, sexist or otherwise bigoted people. Facebook shouldn’t be made responsible for policing the world.

At the time of writing some of the larger groups HAVE been removed so it’s unknown if Facebook have reversed their decision last week and begun removing the groups.

Posted on May 11, 2009 | Filed Under Tech