The rules surrounding freedom of expression on Facebook have recently come into question, and Richard Allan, Facebook's vice president of policy, wrote a blog post recently detailing what kinds of posts the company allows and what kinds may be taken down.
Mr. Allan said Facebook is not bound by any international laws governing freedom of expression or restriction of hate speech, though it finds "guidance in documents like Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which set standards for when it’s appropriate to place restrictions on freedom of expression."
"Facebook is not a government, but it is a platform for voices around the world. We moderate content shared by billions of people, and we do so in a way that gives free expression maximum possible range," Mr. Allan writes. "But there are critical exceptions: We do not, for example, allow content that could physically or financially endanger people, that intimidates people through hateful language, or that aims to profit by tricking people using Facebook."
Mr. Allan said that the accuracy of a Facebook post does not determine whether or not it can be taken down. So long as the post does not violate other rules, inaccurate posts are subject to the same freedom of expression as any other content, even if they disseminate false information.
"Trying to piece together a framework for speech that works for everyone — and making sure we effectively enforce that framework — is challenging," Mr. Allan wrote. "But as we make clear in our Community Standards, every policy we have is grounded in three core principles: giving people a voice, keeping people safe, and treating people equitably. The frustrations we hear about our policies — outside and internally as well — come from the inevitable tension between these three principles."