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LAST UPDATE | 1 Aug 2018
FACEBOOK HAS LAUNCHED an investigation into Irish contractor CPL Inc following on from the undercover Channel 4 Dispatches programme into the social media platform’s content moderation.
Executives from the social media giant today appeared before the Oireachtas Communications Committee to answer questions about the documentary in which a reporter was sent to work as a content moderator for Facebook in Dublin.
The programme claimed thousands of reported posts remained unmoderated and on the site, including posts relating to suicide threats and self-harm.
In a blog post on Facebook, the company acknowledged that some of the content of the programme fell short of “the high standards we expect”.
Facebook today apologised today for the failings in its policing of content on its site and told members of the Oireachtas committee it has changed several policies and increased supervision of CPL.
Policies
Head of public policy for Facebook Ireland, Niamh Sweeney, told the committee members that an internal investigation has been launched to “understand why some actions taken by CPL was not reflective of our policies and the underlying values on which they are based”. She said that the investigation was being undertaken by Facebook itself, such was its seriousness.
Facebook told the politicians that it is not in Facebook’s interests to turn a blind eye to controversial or disturbing content on the platform, something which a CPL staff member was captured saying on camera.
“This is categorically untrue,” Sweeney said in her opening statement, adding that Facebook understands that its explanations to the committee have been “undermined by the comments that were captured on camera by the Dispatches reporter”.
The internal investigation into CPL aims to establish “how these gaps between our policies and values and the training given by CPL staff came about”.
The investigation is being led by Facebook, rather than by CPL, due to the “extremely high priority” Facebook attaches to the issue.
The investigation began on 23 July. Out of caution and concern for their wellbeing of the CPL staff members that feature in the Dispatches programme, they have been encouraged to take time off. Sweeney said that this would help staff to “regroup” but was not enforced.
Re-training for all CPL trainers has already begun, and ongoing training will now continue with twice-weekly sessions to be delivered by content policy.
“Fool’s Pardon”
Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley told Sweeney and her colleague Siobhán Cummiskey, Facebook’s head of content policy for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, that he was not willing to give the company a “fool’s pardon”.
“If this material had just been brought to your attention, we could accept the explanation of ignorance – but this material was part of the training manual.”
He said that Facebook ran on the outrage caused by objectionable material, calling it the “cocaine” of the network.
Chair of the committee Hildegarde Naughton said that the failures were “a betrayal” of standards. She said that there is a disconnect from what Facebook management says and what the company says publicly.
Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley said the programme showed Facebook was either “incapable or unwilling” to regulate the content on the site. He said that the days of Facebook regulating itself may be over.
“It’s all about money at the end of the day.”
Sweeney disagreed with that notion, saying that advertisers are more likely to be turned off by objectionable content and that money first has “never been a driving ethos”. Both Facebook representatives accepted that there are weaknesses in how Facebook has dealt with material at times.
‘The time for apologies is over’
After the meeting concluded, Naughton described it as “a worthwhile interaction” in which Facebook “again apologised for their shortcomings”.
“However, it is the view of the committee that the time for apologies and remedial action is past. Social media platforms have shown themselves incapable of self-regulation. If they won’t regulate themselves, we must do it for them,” she said.
The committee agreed on taking the following steps:
With reporting from Paul Hosford and Órla Ryan
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I so would
Yep thinking the same, just wonder what the girlfriend looks like……
The guy must be hang like a donkey because it sure isn’t his face they are going for……..
Or his dyed head.
or his lifts.
Mao: “I want to know your secret”
Kissinger: “My secret, Mr President?”
Mao: “How a fat man gets so many girls?”
Kissinger: “Power, Mr. Chairman, is the ultimate aphrodisiac.”
-Stone’s Nixon(1995)
Why is this news?
We all already know politicians have no integrity, no sense of honesty or even loyalty.
Riveting stuff ! Just joking
Sexy biatch tbf
A standing Mickey has no conscience…
Classy bird
Why thank you kind sir,one tries one’s best.
and spread legs, apparently to feminists, have no blame.
Maybe Ms Trierweiler should ask the only class act in this sorry tale, Segolene Royal for advice.
How is this any of our business and since when is Closer magazine a valid source of information? I’m seriously concerned about the integrity of the Irish media at the moment.
The role of the media is to report the news.
The reader then decides if it is any of their business or not.
Ms Trierweiler is on the French taxpayer dime and is/was designated First lady of France.
Ah now California don’t be so naive, you really think the media is that impartial? Come on now…
About as impartial as you
I will decide what is newsworthy for me.
if you don’t want to read about it, then don’t click on the link but you don’t get to decide what others can read.
Don’t be ridiculous I’m not deciding what others can read, I’m merely stating that its fodder news and as I said it makes me doubt the integrity of our media, especially when there is a lot not being reported on that, to me, is much more important.. This is a bigger issue than Hollande and his affairs and if you don’t see that well there’s not much I can do about it.
Fodder news?
The integrity of a leader? A cheat? Someone who leaves the mother of his three children?
The media’s integrity is always doubted when it’s a story you don’t like to hear or a belief you had, gets challenged.
You are also describing a false choice. Stories that matter(subjective) are reported. The reporting of one does not stop the reporting of another.
“bigger issue than Hollande and his affairs ”
‘Their’ affairs. There was two in the bed.
“if you don’t see that well there’s not much I can do about it.”
Oh please, Bill Burr’s “If you can’t do the math on that…”
“Stories that matter are reported.” That’s the most naive statement about the media I’ve ever heard. Stories that sell are reported. Seriously California…
You are through the looking glass, Rosy.
Nice tin hat btw.
Your wan is a bit of a ride.
1 woman should be more than enough for any man. He must be a sucker for punishment.
I’ll bang her if he doesn’t want to.
Hollande only has one mistress. We are all being screwed by Irish Politicians!
What is it that makes Hollande irresistible?
I’m gonna guess his millions… ;)
He isn’t a millionaire though.
He’s a career politician & though comfortable, he’s not super rich.
I guess he has a tongue that never tires.
Sure all she would have to do is talk french !
Speak…
If Hollande is as dedicated to the wellbeing of the citizens of France, as he is to fulfilling his personal sexual appetite on a a-la-carte basis, does he turn up in a motor cycle helmet to screw them too?
Pig
Did you just walk past a mirror?
Harsh. Trierweiler is not that bad.
The French don’t care what others get up to in their personal lives. Nor do I.
you clicked on a linked to a story and commented.
You care, you simply don’t like the fact that you do.
No. I don’t care and I clicked on it so as to post what I did.
Would you like my browser history too? There’s plenty of links in there I don’t care about.
Sarcozy is behind all this
I thought the French were all liberal and open minded to the extent that affairs are mandatory. Wouldnt have expected the wife to get in a tizzy over it, sure its normal there.
have your say