Facebook could be charged for web terror and abuse

Facebook is at risk of being prosecuted in the UK for failing to remove images of child abuse and videos that promoted terrorism.

Undercover reporters from The Times flagged the offensive content to Facebook’s moderators, expecting it to be removed. But Facebook said that the material didn’t breach its ‘community standards’, despite much of it being illegal under British law. Its algorithms even suggested that users join groups that had published the material.

“One video appears to depict a sexual assault on a child. That would undoubtedly breach UK indecency laws”, Julian Knowles QC told the newspaper. He added that if a moderator allows an illegal image to stay online, it “might be regarded as assisting or encouraging its publication and distribution”.

Obscene content included videos of beheadings, propaganda about the Westminster terror attack and paedophilic cartoons.

Police are likely to face growing pressure from MPS and charities to investigate the site. Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the home affairs select committee, called for the Government to consider proposals from German ministers to fine sites millions of pounds if illegal content isn’t removed quickly.

An NSPCC spokesman slammed Facebook’s failure to remove illegal content as “appalling”. He added that “it also raises the question of what content they consider to be inappropriate and dangerous to children”.

Justin Osofsky, vice president of Global Operations at Facebook, said that it was “grateful” to The Times for making it aware of the content. He said that Facebook has removed all

prohibited material reported by the newspaper, adding: “We are sorry that this occurred. It’s clear that we can do better, and we’ll continue to work hard to live up to the high standards people rightly expect of Facebook”.