Facebook refuses to take down revenge porn image 20 times
A MOTHER yesterday slammed Facebook for failing to remove a nude photo of her posted by a former boyfriend.
The 45-year-old reported the incident to the social media giant but it said the material did not breach its ‘community standards’. The woman’s ex-lover – Timothy McCarthy – pretended to be her and sent her friends and colleagues a link to the picture.
Facebook removed the images after 20 more complaints from friends, family and from the victim, who does not want to be named. She says the revenge porn cost her her job and friendships.
‘I don’t do anything any more, I just don’t go out,’ she said. After her appalling treatment by McCarthy, 35, she said her dealings with Facebook were the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’. The mother and grandmother from Bridlington, East Yorkshire is now demanding the following:
Verification of highly personal photos before they go online;
Stricter policies to stop faked profiles going live;
A reporting system for victims to phone or email Facebook direct.
McCarthy broke a restraining order in faking the mother of three’s social media profile to put the photos online. The order was imposed after he was released from prison for abusing her.
Earlier this month he was jailed again – receiving three years at Hull Crown Court. His victim said in a statement: ‘It took Facebook 24 hours to shut down the page where he had posted the picture of my naked bottom, God knows how many people saw that. He has set out to control and destroy me and he has succeeded. I’m in a constant state of anxiety.
‘Tim McCarthy has destroyed my life. I’m now on benefits and can’t afford my rent and arrears are building up. I’ve lost all my friends through Tim, I don’t feel I can speak to people any more.’
McCarthy jammed the lines at the taxi firm where his victim worked, making more than 300 calls in one shift and 150 from withheld numbers over a 15-hour period.
She said she contemplated suicide after he texted her to say that no matter where he was he would get to her. In a telephone call he told her: ‘ I’m in your house now, smashing it up.’ Matters came to a head in March when he faked two Facebook pages under her name.
The first had a photo of her asleep in bed along with a rude message. It was quickly removed by Facebook when reported. But days later a second profile went online containing the naked picture and at least one obscene message.
She alerted Facebook when friends tipped her off about the site. A message came back saying: ‘Thanks for your feedback. We’ve looked over the profile you reported, and although it doesn’t go against any of our specific community standards, we understand that something they shared may still be offensive or distasteful to you. We want to help you see less of things like this in the future.’
She described Facebook’s monitoring and customer communication as despicable, adding: ‘You should be able to email them directly and you can’t.’
The US firm did not contact her to confirm the fake profile had been taken down.
McCarthy admitted breaching a restraining order and two offences of disclosing private sexual photos with intent to cause distress.
Recorder Nicholas Lumley, who also imposed a five-year restraining order, described McCarthy as ‘vile and vicious’. He told the defendant: ‘You have completely ruined her life. She has become a recluse.
‘The courts know now, more than ever, that women, particularly in cases such as this, require the protection of the courts.’
A Facebook spokesman said: ‘We are deeply committed to combating this issue and have been working closely with our partners to innovate new tools which help to ensure the safety of people on Facebook.’
‘He set out to destroy me’