Facebook asks for nude photos. Days later clarifies what it will do
Facebook wants your nude photos.
We're not kidding. It's part of an effort by the social network to prevent revenge porn from spreading via its network. But the idea of sending nude photos to one of the world's most profitable companies frightened people.
Tweet may have been deleted
On Thursday, Facebook further clarified how the program works via a blog post titled "The Facts: Non-Consensual Intimate Image Pilot" and published by Facebook's Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis.
It's an important move for Facebook as it battles a reputation for helping destroy America's democracy and profiting off the personal information of at least 2 billion people. Recently, the myth of Facebook listening to conversations has regained the spotlight.
"We recently announced a test that’s a little different from things we’ve tried in the past. Even though this is a small pilot, we want to be clear about how it works," Davis wrote.
Davis emphasized in the blog post that the program is completely voluntarily and that user privacy is protected. For example, the eSafety Commission in Australia receives users' submissions and then notifies and sends them to Facebook. Individuals at the third-party partner "do not have access to the actual image."
Rather, a "specifically trained representative" from Facebook's Community Operations team reviews and then hashes the image. In other words, yes, a Facebook employee will be looking at the submitted pictures.
That begs the question: What if the "specifically trained representative" went rogue? We saw what happened when someone with great power and responsibility left Twitter.
The blog post also included lengthy quotes from three experts on security who have been working with Facebook on the test.
"This is a complex challenge and they have taken a very thoughtful, secure, privacy sensitive approach at a small scale with victim advocates on the frontline," wrote Danielle Keats Citron, a law professor at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law.
Currently, Facebook is testing it in Australia and that doesn't mean it will roll out globally.
"It’s a protective measure that can help prevent a much worse scenario where an image is shared more widely. We look forward to getting feedback and learning," Davis wrote.
Featured Video For You
This baby flamingo in blue boots will make your day