New Zealand's chief censor has criticised Facebook's response to the Christchurch terror attack, saying it is too little, too late.
Facebook announced on Saturday it's making further changes on the platform in the wake of the attack on Saturday (NZ time). Earlier this week it announced a ban on white nationalist and separatist content, saying they're too close to white supremacy, which is already banned.
- Facebook looking into restrictions on livestreaming
- Facebook bans white nationalism and separatism
- Censor bans gunman's manifesto
But it's not enough for David Shanks, who supports the change, but says more needs to be done.
"In many respects these changes are already too late," he told Newshub. "Reports I have seen suggest that Facebook has been on notice for some time, that their policies and enforcement in this area were ineffective.
"I don't believe these issues will be resolved by leaving it up to global technology giants to make the changes that suit themselves.
"We have had a graphic demonstration in New Zealand of how real and critical the risks and harms are. I think regulation will form an essential part of any effective response, alongside international agreement on where the lines are and how we enforce them."
Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said the company is "taking three steps: strengthening the rules for using Facebook Live, taking further steps to address hate on our platforms, and supporting the New Zealand community".
It is also looking into how to prevent the uploading and sharing of edited versions of violent videos, like the shooter's 17-minute-long livestream of the attack.
Several hate groups were removed from Facebook after the attack, and Sandberg said it is looking into what kind of assistance it can provide New Zealand.
"Through everything, we remain ready to work with the New Zealand Government's Royal Commission to further review the role that online services play in these types of attacks more widely," Sandberg said.
Fifty people were killed when a gunman opened fire inside the Linwood Ave and Deans Ave mosques on Friday, March 15.
Newshub.
