Stephens’ video put Facebook in tough spot
It’s been over two weeks since Easter, but I have not stopped thinking about the killing of Robert Godwin Sr., the 74-yearold Cleveland grandfather who was walking home that Sunday after having dinner with his family. Godwin being mercilessly shot by Steve Stephens was horrendous enough, but the fact that Stephens’ mindset was so depraved that he posted this graphic murder on Facebook is beyond disturbing. And it’s not just Stephens’ vile act that causes grave concern. It’s that hundreds of people shared these violent images before Facebook took the video down and deleted Stephens’ account.
One of Godwin’s grandsons made a solemn petition on Twitter for people to stop watching and “to show some respect.” It is frightening that we have become so desensitized as a society that the tragic death of a kind old man can be viewed in such an apathetic manner. The ever-growing problem for Facebook and other social media sites is that they must figure out how to better regulate their massive networks. Stephens did not go live on Facebook when he killed Godwin, but after he uploaded the video he tagged friends with status updates and went live to describe what he did.
On the heels of Stephens’ video, the rape of a Swedish woman was livestreamed on Facebook this week, along with video of a Thai father hanging his baby daughter before committing suicide.
During Facebook’s early years before livestreaming, I remember much of the concern regarding inappropriate posts revolved around profane language and graphic photos. Other issues not quite as severe were the sharing of too much personal information or people having a war of words about divisive political topics and then deleting friends who were really just distant associates. Facebook is still grappling with their ongoing problem of pedophiles posting images of child pornography. Combine that with mentally disturbed individuals like Stephens who misuse social media as a stage for infamous notoriety and Facebook finds itself in a burdensome quandary. With an average of close to 2 billion users per month, Facebook’s audience is large and wide for likes and shares of everything, so the site has an extreme task in trying to curb violent content.
After Godwin’s murder there have been increasing calls to prosecute those who post their crimes online, as well as mounting debates regarding whether Facebook should bear some ethical responsibility for the horrific footage recently seen. The latter argument is similar to what we’ve heard for years concerning television being held accountable for its depiction of gruesome violence and its influence on children. Of course the glaring distinctions are that parents are ultimately responsible for monitoring what their children watch and social media is a different type of outlet than TV.
Facebook is not a broadcasting company like CBS, NBC and ABC. It heavily depends on its users to flag, hide and report offensive posts and videos, and there is always the option to block someone. The vision that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has is one of a global community where people not only encourage inclusion and meaningful personal connections but also work together to root out subject matter that is vicious and hateful.
Going the prosecution route for murderers craving live viewers of their atrocious acts might deter a small number, but I doubt it would have a significant impact. Most killers like Stephens are definitely not afraid of being brought to justice for their crimes, and they often do not fear death, as Stephens took his own life before being apprehended by police.
Facebook now is in the tough position of having to diligently screen for wouldbe criminals who want to use its platform to spread terror and aggression. Even the most effective strategies for blocking rogue users will not prevent the next traumatizing video from surfacing. Facebook has promised to do more, but the harsh reality is that this is a major consequence of the digital world of sharing it helped create.