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AIBU?

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Original poster

That Facebook should not allow the posting of pictures of dead bodies

28 replies

flashystars · 16/01/2015 22:27

One of my friends shared a picture of the massacre in Boko Haram. Hundreds of charred dead bodies. I reported it and Facebook think it's fine and dandy and does violate their standards.
FFS.

OP posts:
Original poster
flashystars · 16/01/2015 22:28

Does not. Obvs.

OP posts:
ghostyslovesheep · 16/01/2015 22:29

should you not look at news? It's a massive news story and it's shocking for a reason (mainly because we are all horrified by Paris and oblivious to this)

AlleyCat11 · 16/01/2015 22:32

Friend of a friend posted a picture of a dead body in a casket. It was his baby granddaughter. There was loads of messages passing on condolences. But surely everybody thought it was weird? Or is it a thing now...

Original poster
flashystars · 16/01/2015 22:34

I expect it to be on the news, and I can choose whether I watch, but not whether it's on my timeline. Really graphic picture.

OP posts:
NeonDoll · 16/01/2015 22:34

YANBU. If you want to look at images like that then do so, but don't subject others to them via Facebook.

FightOrFlight · 16/01/2015 22:36

It depends on the context. If the picture was to highlight the horrors going on and educate people then I see no harm.

If it was to be offensive and make disparaging comments, stir up hate etc. then it's not acceptable.

As ghosty says, it's nothing that hasn't already been covered by the news.

GraysAnalogy · 16/01/2015 22:38

I don't think they should post anything like that.

If people want to look at the news they're free to do so or not, but when it appears on your timeline it's thrust in your face

I also didn't want to see a photo of a dead baby when I'd suffered a miscarriage. But that happened.

MarjorieMelon · 16/01/2015 22:38

I reported a really gruesome photo a couple of years back of dead children in Syria. Facebook responded fairly quickly stating that it was acceptable. A few days later one of my teenage nieces fb friends thought it was funny to report a photo of her for containing too much cleavage (she was fully dressed) and the photo was removed.

Altinkum · 16/01/2015 22:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FightOrFlight · 16/01/2015 22:39

I have a lot of pictures from animal rescues that appear on my timeline. Some of the abuse cases are horrific and I find them quite upsetting. I could 'unfollow' the rescues but then I'd miss other posts of theirs.

Perhaps adjust your settings so that you don't see her stuff in your newsfeed.

I assume you asked her to remove the picture before reporting it to Facebook and she refused?

AgentZigzag · 16/01/2015 22:45

If anything like that is reported on the news they either blur out any bodies or at least give you a warning!

I suppose on the scale of the things you can find pictures of on the net it might not be that much to some people, but I would be pretty disturbed by seeing them and would prefer to have the choice not to, even if someone was taking it upon themselves to 'educate' me.

It's not just about the shock value of it, but, and maybe I'm just being ridiculous, the dignity of the deceased.

merrychristmasyafilthyanimal · 16/01/2015 22:46

I think I know the picture you are talking about, I also reported it but again had the same response. It was far more gruesome then the pictures shown in the news. YANBU

KneeQuestion · 16/01/2015 22:48

That pic of all the charred bodies, is not even anything to do with Boko haram.

It is a pic of people that were killed in an oil tanker explosion a few years back, it's been on the net for several years.

Cuddledaroundacat · 16/01/2015 22:50

But they remove pictures of women breastfeeding!

FightOrFlight · 16/01/2015 22:51

YANBU to not want to see it in your newsfeed.

Put the friend's post to 'hide' as I doubt it will be the last time they post pictures that you find disturbing.

GraysAnalogy · 16/01/2015 22:52

and maybe I'm just being ridiculous, the dignity of the deceased

No I completely agree. If I die in a horrific way I don't want my body plastered around for everyone to comment on

MrsPigling · 16/01/2015 22:54

I reported a group called something like 'the only good dog is a dead dog' that showed pictures of dead dogs. That was perfectly ok by fb standards, despite one of the reporting options being 'promotes cruelty to animals'.

So cruelty to dogs is fine, pictures of babies being breastfed is offensive?!

SaggyAndLucy · 16/01/2015 22:56

I reported a picture of a dead African baby lying in a gutter with its innards spilling out.
It was one of those "share this picture..." thingies.
It being on Facebook did absolutely NOTHING for any cause whatsoever other than assuage people's morbid curiosity.
Facebook said it wasn't breaking any guidelines.
This was at the same time that the father who put pictures of his post heart op baby on his PRIVATE wall had his pictures removed for being "gory and upsetting"! Facebook are a bunch of hypocrites!

FightOrFlight · 16/01/2015 22:57

Knee Spot on. Thanks for pointing that out.

africacheck.org/reports/boko-haram-massacre-image-fake/

NB - before clicking link: Contains pictures of (covered) bodies others are blurred so not what I would call graphic, warning given just in case it upsets people

AgentZigzag · 16/01/2015 22:57

I know that the people who used to be in the bodies are past caring now, and if an atrocity has happened some of them might have chosen for the picture to be making the rounds to show what they had to go through, but that's such an individual choice.

And what about their family and friends?

Buxtonstill · 16/01/2015 23:05

Don't look up The Thanatos Archive on Facebook then.
Fascinating site, discussing and showing post mortem photography. It was very popular in the Victorian age, when a photo would be taken of a deceased person, presumably they had been unable to afford such a luxury when the relative was alive. So sad when you see siblings posing by a departed brother or sister.

Willferrellisactuallykindahot · 16/01/2015 23:08

I reported a picture of a dead African baby lying in a gutter with its innards spilling out.
It was one of those "share this picture..." thingies.

What the FUCK? What is wrong with people? Sad

pasbeaucoupdegendarme · 16/01/2015 23:10

Yanbu, I entirely agree that I choose whether or not to watch the news and with that I usually get some warning if pictures or reports contain "upsetting images".

I saw the pic you refer to whilst idly scrolling through fb just before bed one night. I don't want to see it then.

AgentZigzag · 16/01/2015 23:21

Bux, after seeing the film The Others I was interested in the sociological side of how people treat death/corpses has changed and looked it up on the net and found those kinds of pictures.

But they weren't disturbing because it was my choice to find them and they were in a specific context.

Graphic pictures of someone who's maybe met a violent end if they're topped and tailed by someone's choice of dinner and what's going on down the pub that night is completely different.

(Although I know you haven't argued that it's OK)

AgentZigzag · 16/01/2015 23:22

Agree with Willferrell, and about the dog page, there are some sick fucks about.