This Tuesday, Facebook stepped up ways to stand against bullying and harassment
This whole new campaign brings new tools and programs to provide users control over “unwanted, offensive or hurtful experiences on Facebook,” global head of safety Antigone Davis said in a blog post.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe on Facebook,” Davis said.
Users will be able to hide or delete groups of comments, including responses, instead of having to remove them individually, according to Davis.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Facebook on Tuesday stepped up ways to battle bullying and harassment
- Everyone deserves to feel safe on Facebook, said the company’s head of safety
- Facebook is also testing ways to let users block offensive words
Starting today you can report bullying or harassment on FB on behalf of someone else and hide/delete multiple comments at once — all part of our work to help people stay safe on our platform. Here's more about the new steps we’re taking: https://t.co/qEEBXz3hHR
— Facebook (@facebook) October 2, 2018
These features will roll out on desktop computers and Android-powered mobile devices, and ensures to reach versions of the application on Apple gadgets in the upcoming months.
Facebook also started to allow users to report bullying or harassment on behalf of friends reluctant to complain to the social network themselves.
No one deserves to be Bullied
“Being the target of unwanted attention can be stressful and some people may not feel comfortable reporting a bully or harasser,” Davis said.
“If you see a friend or family member being bullied or harassed, now you can report someone on their behalf.”
A team at Facebook reviews complaints to determine whether reported posts violate policies at the social network.
Every Life matters
An appeals process included earlier this year regarding images, videos, or posts were taken down because of being hateful, violent, or sexually explicit content will extend to decisions regarding bullying, according to Facebook.
“You will soon be able to ask for a further review if you report a piece of content for bullying or harassment and you think we made a mistake in determining whether it violates our policies,” Davis said.
Facebook is also testing ways to let users look for, or block words considered offensive in comment sections of their posts.
A big majority of US teenagers state they have been victims of online harassment or bullying, and that social media firms aren’t doing enough to fight the problem, a recent survey showed.
Facebook introduces new features to counter bullying and harassmenthttps://t.co/gULshLWJ3J pic.twitter.com/CVW9NzpalU
— IndiaTodayTech (@IndiaTodayTech) October 3, 2018
The Pew Research Center survey found that 59% of US teens reported being bullied or harassed online, and 63% said it was a very big problem for people of their age.
“Name-calling and rumour-spreading have long been an unpleasant and challenging aspect of adolescent life,” said Monica Anderson, the lead researcher for the Pew report.
“But, the proliferation of smartphones and the rise of social media has transformed where, when and how bullying takes place,”