Facebook training offer for politicians is ‘a little intrusive’
POLITICIANS have privately expressed unease around a recent Facebook safety and security training session for TDs and senators.
The outreach led to discomfort amongst politicians, some of whom have an uneasy relationship with Facebook.
One source said it was ‘a little intrusive. We have been sharply critical of Facebook and this appeared to some of us to represent a bit of a blurring of the lines of separation and accountability’.
Another noted: ‘It is most unlike Facebook or any multinational to offer something for nothing. I wonder what the kick-back will be.’
But, amidst growing concern over the bullying and hacking of politicians on social media and increasing attempts by politicians to themselves engage in such activities, others welcomed the move.
In a generalised email from Facebook, politicians were informed of the tools they could use to ‘control their experiences on Facebook and Instagram, such as what they see, who they are connected with, what others see about them, and to report content to us’. This included ‘security settings which allow you to see where you are currently logged in, to sign up for alerts for unrecognised logins and to appoint friends who can help recover your account should it be compromised’.
To help ensure that negative content does not appear on your page, Facebook also informed our less-than-digitally-literate politicians that ‘we have developed a range of tools that allow public figures to moderate and filter the content that people publish on their pages’.
The social media giant also offered advice on ‘managing your Instagram account’ in areas as diverse as the capacity to ‘automatically filter out comments that may be offensive, inappropriate or hurtful, and you are also able to add words, phrases or emojis to a keyword filter to prevent them from appearing’.
On reporting and removing content, the company noted: ‘Every piece of content on Facebook and Instagram has a report button.’
In addition, it added: ‘We refer cases to An Garda Síochána when we become aware of an imminent threat.’
The company also told TDs and senators that it had developed a direct reporting channel for Irish politicians. It noted: ‘As well as the report function available on every piece of content, we want to ensure that you and your staff can raise urgent safety concerns to us directly.’
The tech company, whose CEO is Mark Zuckerberg, told politicians: ‘Should you have any concerns relating to threatening or abusive content on the platform and its impact on your role as a politician, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team at: OirSafety@fb.com.’
Our politicians were also informed of the existence within Facebook and Instagram of a ‘publicly available website dedicated to those working in politics and government’.
Here, it said, ‘you can find our Government Politics and Advocacy Concierge service and online support contact form’.
In the correspondence, seen by the Irish Mail on Sunday, a politics and government outreach manager has informed TDs and senators that ‘if you wish to access this, please let me know and I will happily arrange this for you’.
A Facebook spokesperson said: ‘Facebook is an effective way for politicians to communicate
‘Held to educate politicians’
with their constituents. However, we recognise it can be misused and there is a small number of people who want to intimidate public representatives online.’
They added: ‘This training, which was offered to all elected TDs and senators, main political parties and their staff in Ireland, was held to educate public representatives on the safety tools available to manage their experience and prevent abuse on our platforms.’