Tuesday 26 February 2013

Sandy Hook: Facebook Pulls Some Tribute Pages - Sky News

Facebook has agreed to remove some so-called tribute pages related to the Connecticut school shooting over concerns they are being used to exploit the tragedy.

Lawmakers from the state requested the removal of offending pages in a letter to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.

They said some of pages purportedly set up to honour the victims of the December 14 shooting have been used to exploit or harass the victims' families and could be used as vehicles for financial fraud.

They also said the pages also appear to violate Facebook's terms of use, which prohibit users from creating accounts for anyone other than themselves.

Officials are aware of more than 100 pages dedicated to just one of the victims, Sandy Hook teacher Victoria Soto. Some contain postings from conspiracy theorists who claim the shootings were staged and that Ms Soto and others were actors.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal said: "Certainly there have been many, too many, of these pages that are intimidating or harassing or exploitive. I'm pleased that Facebook has responded positively."

US Shooting 1
Officials know of more than 100 pages dedicated to Victoria Soto alone

The lawmakers said Facebook also had received complaints from Ms Soto's family and the family of Kaitlin Roig, a teacher who survived and has been credited with saving the lives of her students by locking the class in a small bathroom and barricading the door.

A Facebook page titled "Kaitlin Roig is a Hero" prompted some abusive posts, such as one that reads: "Congratulations Kaitlin or whatever your name is ... Now you're famous and got to meet the 'President.' You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Mr Blumenthal said his office received a phone call from Facebook officials saying they had begun removing the pages immediately.

Facebook did not immediately reply to an email request for comment.

Mr Blumenthal said they are not asking that all tribute or donation pages be removed, just the ones that are not authorised by the families.

One fraud arrest already has been connected to a Facebook posting on the shooting. Nouel Alba, a 37-year-old New York City woman, is accused of using her Facebook account, telephone calls and text messages to seek donations for what she called a "funeral fund".

She allegedly told one donor that she had to enter the scene of the mass shooting to identify her nephew, according to the criminal complaint.

 

No comments:

Post a Comment