Facebook has planned new content filters for its users. This will give users the power to define what’s objectional and what isn’t. It will enable the users to select how much graphic content, nudity or violence related topics they are comfortable seeing.
Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg revealed the new plans in company’s Community Standards policy in a 5,000-word humanitarian manifesto.
Zuckerberg explains the forthcoming policy, writing:
“The idea is to give everyone in the community options for how they would like to set the content policy for themselves. Where is your line on nudity? On violence? On graphic content? On profanity? What you decide will be your personal settings. We will periodically ask you these questions to increase participation and so you don’t need to dig around to find them. For those who don’t make a decision, the default will be whatever the majority of people in your region selected, like a referendum. Of course you will always be free to update your personal settings anytime.
With a broader range of controls, content will only be taken down if it is more objectionable than the most permissive options allow.”
The new approach will allow Facebook to give vocal, engaged users choice, while establishing reasonable localized norms, without ever forcing specific policies on anyone.
To classify the objectionable content Facebook will depend heavily on artificial intelligence, which already delivers 30 per cent of all content flags to its users. Zuckerberg believes that Facebook’s AI will learn to make distinctions, for example: the AI will be able to distinguish between terrorist propaganda and a news report about a terrorist attack.
Zuckerberg also revealed that the company hopes to add more suggestions for local groups to tie deeper into their communities. Facebook also wants to expand AI detection of self-harm or bullying, and allow users to report health issues, disease or crime. The central theme of these changes is Facebook empowering users to define their own experience.
